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2012 THE END OF THE WORLD?

Wednesday Jan 20, 2010 by John Mittendorf

AIRED ON TheDOVE, January 21, 2010

Perry Atkinson and John Mittendorf

INTRODUCTION

It may be remembered that just prior to the year 2000 that many people were predicting grave consequences, and some were even suggesting the collapse of modern civilization from a condition that could be caused by computers crashing all over the world due to the inability of computers to function after the introduction of the year 2000. This was known as Y2K. As we are now aware, the year 2000 came and went with hardly a whimper, and life as we know it continued in a normal fashion.

However, a new catastrophe is being predicted by numerous sources, including the media, Hollywood (with the introduction of a major movie), and several countries preparing for a future collapse of the world as we now know it. The alleged impending catastrophe is known by the designation of 2012 which stands for the potential collapse of the universe, the earth, and civilization on December 21, 2012. Why the sudden interest in the year 2012 and is there any truth in the dire predictions regarding a horrific calamity that may destroy the universe and the earth?

Let’s take a quick look at the foundation and source of these predictions and what the Bible has to say about the future of the universe and planet earth.

2012

“The Mayan calendar is at the center of a cultural phenomenon. To some, 2012 will bring the end of time; to others, it carries the promise of a new beginning; to still others, 2012 provides an explanation for troubling new realities – environmental change, for example – that seem to be beyond the control of our technology and impervious to reason. Just in time for the final five-year countdown, the Mayan apocalypse has come of age”

The New York Times, July 1, 2007

“Never before has a date in history been so significant to so many cultures, so many religions, scientists, and governments”

Promotional Tagline for the movie 2012

To understand how the predictions of the end of the world on December 21, 2012 have begun to gain momentum - and with a noteworthy measure of credibility - let’s look at the elemental source of these forecasts that center on the accuracy of the Mayan calendar.

MAYANS

The Mayans once occupied the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico back to about 2,600 B.C. It is a fact that they were master astronomers that developed an unnatural astronomical accuracy during their civilization that rivals our knowledge of the Milky Way (our galaxy) and planet earth within the Milky Way Galaxy. The term unnatural was used as their astronomical knowledge was obtained without the use of our modern scientific advancements (i.e., telescopes, satellites, etc) and was not duplicated until modern times with advanced technology. As an example, the Mayans were intimately familiar with the following: (1) Knew the length of a lunar month within 34 seconds, (2) The 2,000 year old Mayan calendar is more accurate than our current calendar, (3) Knew a solar year was 365.2450 days (error of .0002), (4) Knew a precessional cycle was the length of time required for the earth to complete one complete wobble. Although the earth turns on its axis, it also wobbles very slightly which creates a small circle in the sky (called a precession) as the earth rotates around the sun. The earth wobbles one-degree every 72 years and it takes about 28,000 years to complete one complete precession (referred to as the precession of the equinox). For simplicity, this figure is often stated as 26,000 years, and (5) The Mayan chronological clock is so accurate that it has not varied by one day in over 2,500 years

The Mayans used numerous calendars, however, three primary calendars were used as follows: (1) Ceremonial calendar, (2) Solar calendar, and (3) Long count calendar. This calendar was used to document “cycles” that would repeat over and over again. These cycles were divided into five cycles (of 5,125 years each) that basically started with creation and end on 122112. All cycles are supposed to end in destruction

According to the Mayans, each cycle is about 5,125 years in length, and the 122112 date is the end of the fifth cycle and also the end of a precessional cycle (26,000 years). The end of these two cycles corresponds with the alignment of the earth, sun, and the black hole in the center of the Milky Way. Additionally, this alignment will also occur on the winter solstice. This “Galactic Astronomical Alignment” is supposedly the final time in more than 5,000 years that it has occurred and could be responsible for the following catastrophes: (1) Tremendous earthquakes, (2) Split of the earth’s magnetic field, (3) Nuclear winter, (4) Super-volcanic eruptions, (5) Solar storms, and (6) According to some “New Age” proponents, a “New Beginning” (known as “The Shift”) which is a form of New Age Mysticism

Although this “Galactic Astronomical Alignment” is two years away, it is gaining a significant amount of momentum from three basic sources:

Mayans

(1) Their intelligence and expertise in astronomy cannot be denied

New Age

(1) New Age mysticism will propose a new beginning of order and enlightenment

Media

(1) Major global conferences, (2) Numerous websites, (3) Network programs on this subject (History and Discovery channels, etc), (4) iphone applications are available that count down to 122112, (5) The movie 2012 (with others on the way), the Netherlands preparing for 2012, and (6) Major magazines (i.e., Newsweek – the year 2012 will mark a global transformation)

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE HAVE TO SAY

As the year 2012 approaches, the media (and hype from numerous other sources) will certainly increase to a frantic level (remember Y2K)? Therefore, in spite of the approaching hysteria that will be generated, it is mandatory that we look at the inerrant word of God to see what it has to say about the future. With these thoughts in mind, let’s look at two specific areas of consideration from a biblical viewpoint:

THE END OF THE EARTH

When considering the end of the universe, earth, and/or mankind, the Bible specifically delineates how this will happen in 2 Peter 3:5-7 as follows:

“For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same Word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.” This verse tells us that although the earth was previously destroyed by a global flood, the present earth is now preserved by the word of God to be destroyed by fire. Therefore, it is God that will initiate the destruction of this world (by fire) and not a Galactic Alignment of solar bodies.

LOOKING AHEAD

As the Bible specifically states that this world will perish by the hand and timing of God (see Revelation 21:1, 2 Peter 3:10-12, Mathew 24:35, etc), then we should look ahead to the future of this world and where we will spend eternity by considering the following perspectives:

(1) First and foremost, do not look to secular answers for salvation. The Bible clearly states – “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no ones comes to the Father but through me” John 14:6 (see Matthew 7:13 and Matthew 7:24-25). Also, the Bible clearly states that Christ offers anyone the free gift of salvation – “As many as received him, to them He gave the right to become children of God” John 1:12 (also see John 3:16).

(2) Knowing that your salvation and future is secure, how should a Christian face the future (excerpted from the book 2012 by Mark Hitchcock): (a) God is in total control, (b) The world will not end on 122112. The 2012 viewpoint that is being proposed is fundamentally based on pure speculation and New Age-ism, (c) Read what the Bible says and obey it. Remember, it was written so it could be understood without secret meanings and codes, (d) Jesus will not return to earth for his second-coming on 2012. God’s final seven-year countdown for the end of the age has not started, (e) Although some unusual events may happen on or near 122112, God set’s the timetable, not Mayan predictions, (f) Do not get caught-up in the speculation about some great cosmic purification or universal expansion of consciousness that may come on 122112. New Age eschatology is man-centered and rejects God’s infallible revelation in the Bible, (g) Make sure you have trusted in Jesus Christ and do all you can to spread the good news about Christ to others, and finally, (h) Commit yourself to living a responsible, sober life for Jesus Christ. Live as an ordinary person doing ordinary things, but do them with the extraordinary character of godliness with sincere love for others

BIBLIOGRAPHY

The following sources offer an expanded view of this subject and books can be purchased at the Evangel book store in the Medford Mall or accessed on the internet by going to Google.

(1) 2012, Is This the End?, Lloyd B. Hildebrand, Bridge Logos Foundation

(2) 2012 The Bible and the End of the World, Mark Hitchcock, Harvest House

(3) The Complete Idiot’s Guide to 2012, Andrews and Andrews

(4) Fractal Time: The Secret of 2012 and a New World Order, Gregg Braden, Hay House inc

(5) The Mystery of 2012, A Singularity in Time, Peter Russell, Sounds True, Inc

(6) The Mayan Factor, Jose Arguelles, Sounds True, Inc

The Temple ~ Part 1 & 2

Wednesday Oct 14, 2009 by John Mittendorf

AIRED ON TheDOVE,
OCTOBER 15 and NOVEMBER 15, 2009

Perry Atkinson and John Mittendorf

INTRODUCTION

During our last series on Ezekiel 38 and 39, we received some questions regarding the Temple Mount, the Tribulation, and their relevance to the biblical term “The End Times.” Due to the current world events, and particularly the continued isolation of Israel, it seems as though this generation is watching world events unfold (as prophesied in Ezekiel) unlike any other prior generation. Consequently, it seems like a natural progression to continue with an overview of the time that will likely follow the prophetic events of Ezekiel, particularly when the Bible specifically delineates that a third “Temple” will be constructed prior to the mid-point of the Tribulation and then be desecrated by the Anti-Christ. In addition to the desecration of the Temple, the subject of the Tribulation will be an un-paralleled time of God pouring out his wrath on an unrepentant world.

With these thoughts in mind, let’s begin this series by specifically looking at the Temple that scripture says will be built to re-institute the Jewish sacrificial system and    prepare for the coming of the Messiah, overview the tensions between Jews and Arabs over the Temple Mount area (as both the Jews and Arabs claim the rights to the control of Jerusalem, any current efforts to rebuild the Temple are nothing less than highly inflammatory), and discuss what the religious Jewish leaders have been accomplishing to restore the Temple and the sacrificial system. Another item of extreme interest we will briefly discuss is the “The Ark of the Covenant” and its place in end times. However, it must be remembered that there has been a significant amount of conjecture regarding its location and possibly even its existence.

HISTORY

The word temple is derived from the Hebrew word hekal. In the Bible, temple normally refers to the Jerusalem Temple, and refers to four Temples in Jerusalem. From a practical perspective, the Bible refers to one portable temple and four distinct stationary Temples in Jerusalem as follows:
-The Tabernacle was a mobile Temple that was used by the children of Israel while they were in the wilderness. After the Israelites entered the Promised Land and David became king, God discussed a new Temple with David but did not allow him to build it as he was a man of war.
-The first Temple was built by King Solomon around 1,000 B.C. on the Temple Mount and ultimately destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 B.C. After the new Temple was consecrated, the visible presence of God moved from the Tabernacle to the new Temple (2 Chronicles 7:16). This was accomplished by moving the Ark of the Covenant into the Holy of Holies where the Shekinah Glory of God was visibly displayed above the Mercy Seat of the Ark.
-The second Temple was initially built by the Jews after returning from their Babylonian captivity to Jerusalem in 536 B.C. This Temple followed the outline of Solomon’s Temple, was later enlarged (and significantly enhanced) by King Herod in 18 B.C. and then totally destroyed in 70 A.D. by the Romans. It is believed the renovation by King Herod resulted in the Temple exceeding the beauty and greatness of Solomon’s Temple, and was regarded as one of the great marvels of the ancient world. Of particular interest is the fulfillment of Matthew 24:2 where Jesus stated that not one stone of the Temple would be left upon another. When the Romans burned Jerusalem and the Temple, the gold on the walls melted and ran between the seams of the stones, resulting in the Romans tearing the stones apart to recover the gold and fulfilling the prophecy in Matthew.
-The third Temple is often referred to as the “Tribulation Temple” and/or the “Anti-Christ’s Temple” as there will be a Jewish Temple at least by the midpoint of the Tribulation and is supported by Daniel 9:27, Matthew 24:15, 2 Thessalonians 2:4, and Revelation 11:1-2. These scriptures can be summarized by the fact that the Anti-Christ will defile the Temple at the mid-point (3.5 years) of the Tribulation.
-Lastly, a fourth Temple will serve as the center of worship for the world during the Millennium, will be greater than the previous Temple, and will be used through Christ’s reign for 1,000 years. The details can be found in Ezekiel 40-48 and Ezekiel 43:4-7. This Temple will also host the resumption of animal sacrifices and festival worship schedule and will be built north of Jerusalem.

PURPOSE

According to the revered rabbi Moses Maimonides, the purpose of the Temple was two-fold:
-The divine presence of God was revealed to mankind (the Glory of God dwelt above the Mercy Seat of the Ark of the Covenant).
-Provided a selected place for offering divine sacrifices.

THE TEMPLE MOUNT

The 35 acre “Temple Mount” is without a doubt the most controversial piece of real estate in the world. Since the Six-Day War of 1967 when Israeli soldiers recaptured Jerusalem and specifically the Temple Mount area, Israel has controlled the city of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount. However, Israel allowed the Supreme Muslim Religious Council (a Jordanian controlled Muslim trust referred to as Waqf) to supervise and police all activities in the Temple Mount area. This is a result of Israeli Defense minister General Moshe Dayan establishing this policy with Muslim leaders at the conclusion of the 1967 war and still remains in effect today. Currently, there are three structures that occupy this piece of land and are all revered Muslim holy sites:
-The Dome of the Rock which was built by Calif-Abdal-Malik in 691 A.D.
-The Al-Aqsa Mosque.
-The Arabic shrine known as the Dome of the Spirits/Tablets which is a small dome supported by columns and is believed to have been built over the foundation stone that supported the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies.
Of particular interest, Solomon had the earth under the Temple Mount area excavated and then rebuilt to its present elevation. This was done to ensure that no corpses were buried beneath the Temple and to prevent the possibility of defiling the Temple along with the sacrificial system. Excavations under the Temple Mount area has resulted in numerous and significant archaeological discoveries; there is an elaborate complex network of tunnels, secret passages, numerous cisterns (one of which can hold over ten million gallons of water) used to store water and grain, treasure rooms, and guard rooms. In effect, there is a city that lies far beneath the old city of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount. This underground complex remained unknown until excavations began almost immediately after the war of 1967 by Israel and it quickly became apparent that the magnitude of the underground complex defied description. It is currently estimated that in spite of the numerous discoveries, only a small percentage of the complex has been investigated and/or is known. The multi-faceted purpose of this huge subterranean complex was as follows:
-Protect the inhabitants of Jerusalem during times of attack (Israel has been invaded over 20 times).
-Supply necessary essentials for survival.
-Allow priests and other Temple personnel to easily access the Temple.
-Provide for water and eliminate waste materials for Temple sacrifices. As an example for the necessity of these considerations, over 20,000 oxen and 100,000 sheep were sacrificed when Solomon dedicated the first Temple (Festival of Dedication), and over 250,000 sheep were sacrificed in one afternoon prior to the Romans attacking Jerusalem.
-Provide escape tunnels for the kings of Israel to the Kidron Valley (and beyond). As an example, one tunnel that has been excavated is known as King Herods escape tunnel and is over ten miles long. Another escape tunnel was used by King Zedekiah to escape the Babylonian invasion and is found in Jeremiah 39:4, Jeremiah 52:7-11,
and Ezekiel 12:8-16.
-Likely hide and/or store Temple treasures. It is estimated the Temple collected about one billion dollars each year and it is known that David gave Solomon 100,000 talents of gold and 1 million talents of silver for the Temple. At today’s standards, that is 64 billion dollars in gold and 13 billion dollars in silver!

REBUILDING THE NEW (THIRD) TEMPLE

The Bible is clear on the fact that a Temple must be present on the original location of the Temple Mount before the return of Christ and before the key prophesied events of the last days can be fulfilled (i.e., Matthew 24:15, Daniel 11:31, etc). Additionally, rebuilding the Temple is central to the messianic hopes of the Jewish people. However, as most students of Bible prophecy are aware, this is currently perceived as an unapproachable task due to numerous factors such as religious constraints, politics, and last but not least, the present location of the Dome of the Rock. In addition to the preceding factors, another major constraint is the Temple cannot be rebuilt and worship cannot be re-instated unless the long inactive Sanhedrin is reconvened. The Sanhedrin is the highest Jewish Court and is also responsible to authorize the correct location of the Temple, re-establish the Levitical priesthood, re-institute the ancient rituals, and administer the numerous details that are related to the Temple. It is fascinating to note that God never withdrew his command for Israel to build a Temple (Exodus 25:8), therefore, God’s command is still in effect in modern times.

If persons who are familiar with the Bible are questioned about the re-building of a new Temple on the Temple Mount, the common perception would be “a new Temple cannot be currently built as The Dome of the Rock occupies the location for the new Temple. Therefore, before a new Temple is built, something must happen to the Dome of the Rock.” Surprisingly, this perception is a dichotomy of true and what can be described as likely false as follows:
-Israeli law demands that any significant religious site in Israel (Christian, Jewish, Muslim, etc) cannot be altered in a significant way regardless of events. This law was initiated by the Turks during their administration of the Temple Mount, was reinforced by the British Mandate (1921-1948), and has been established in Israel’s basic laws since 1948. Therefore, if the Dome of the Rock is ever damaged, Israeli law would assure that it be returned to its original condition. Therefore, the perception that the current location of the Dome of the Rock can be a major detriment to the rebuilding of the Temple on the same location is true.
-The perception of the current Dome of the Rock location being a detriment to the rebuilding of a new Temple (on the same site) is likely false due to the recent archaeological discoveries and research by Jewish authorities. Remember the previous overview of the subterranean complex under the Temple Mount area has resulted in significant discoveries. Some of these discoveries have resulted in determining:
-  The original location of Solomon’s Temple (first Temple).
- The Herodian Temple foundation stones (second Temple). The Herodian
foundation stones are estimated to weigh over 1,000 tons each and are cut so
accurately that a razor blade cannot be placed between them (we covered this
technology in our series on ancient technology). Modern technology would be
unable to move these stones from their original location (over a mile away) to their
present location which is over 60-feet below the current surface of the Temple
Mount. This area is directly north of the Dome of the Rock.
-   A tunnel from the time of King Herod that leads towards the location of the
Beautiful Gate and the sealed Eastern Gate of the Temple Mount. This suggests
the location of the first and second Temples are 150-feet north of the Dome of the
Rock.
-    In the 1980’s a cistern that was used to hold the liquid offerings connected with
Temple services was discovered. Its location indicates the original Holy of Holies
as being north of the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa shrines.
-    The location of the original Eastern Gate (which is below the present Eastern
Gate) has been discovered. It is known that Solomon’s Temple was directly to the
west of the sealed Eastern Gate.
-In summary, the third Temple could be built on the Temple Mount in a location about 150-feet north of the current location of the Dome of the Rock and directly west of the Eastern Gate. However, the final determination of the exact site will be determined by the Sanhedrin.

CURRENT PREPARATIONS
THE SANHEDRIN

In order for the rebuilding of the new Temple to commence, specific conditions must be met and/or in place. Let’s look at Temple preparations that have actively been underway by the Orthodox Jews in Israel:
-Before the Temple can be rebuilt, the ancient Sanhedrin must be reconvened as one of their responsibilities was directing and supervising all matters pertaining to the restoration of the Temple. The last time the Sanhedrin convened was in A.D. 453. On October 13, 2004, over 70 of the most respected rabbis in Israel (appointed from the 12 tribes) were ordained to the new Sanhedrin and officially met in Jerusalem on January 20, 2005. They specifically considered the resumption of Temple worship and rebuilding the Temple. Three sites for a new Temple are currently being considered:
-   Centered on the Dome of the Rock.
-   North of the Dome of the Rock.
-   South of the Dome of the Rock and near the Al-Aska Mosque.

OIL OF ANOINTING

The oil of anointing was used to anoint the Tabernacle, the high priest, the sacred objects of worship (Exodus 30: 25), and the Messiah upon his return to this earth. This specific oil disappeared when the Romans destroyed Herods Temple. However, this exact ancient oil was discovered from a specific translation from a Copper Scroll discovered in Qumran. As delineated on the scroll, archaeological teams found a clay jar in a cave that contained oil that had turned into a gelatin-type substance. When the substance was analyzed it was determined to contain the exact same five ingredients in the proper ratios (see Exodus 30:23, 30-31). Further testing by the Pharmaceutical Department of Hebrew University has determined this is the ancient oil of anointing (about 2,000 years old). This discovery now makes it possible to anoint the new Temple, sacred vessels, priests, and the Messiah! It is noteworthy to remember that Jesus of Nazareth was never anointed during his 33 years on earth.
BLUE DYE FOR HIGH PRIESTS GARMENTS
As outlined in Exodus 28:31, a rare blue dye was used to create the unique color of the material in the high priests robes. This dye (known as tchelet) was obtained from a rare mollusk that was only found in the Mediterranean Sea and long believed to be extinct. However, in the late 1990’s, Israeli divers discovered the mollusk (hillazon snail) in the Red Sea. It is now possible to use the same dye to color the robes of the high priests.

THE ASHES OF THE RED HEIFER

When the Temple is built, it cannot be used for worship until it is purified with the “Water of Purification” made from the ashes of a red heifer (Numbers 19:2). The water of purification is used to ritually cleanse the sacred vessels, the Levitical Priesthood, and the Temple Mount, and are made from the red heifer ashes, water, scarlet thread, cedar, and hyssop. Of particular interest is the extreme rarity of a red heifer that must meet the following conditions:
-Pure red in color.
-Not one black or white hair.
-No imperfections (wounds, blemishes, etc).
-No yoke has been on its neck.
-Female between the ages of 2 and 4 years old (this is the only female animal to be sacrificed. Jesus was betrayed for 30 pieces of silver which was the price of a female slave).
Jewish authorities are raising a herd of red heifers in Israel for a qualified candidate. Although there is an intensive search for the original red heifer ashes, it is not necessary to make the water of purification from the original red heifer ashes. As a side note, the sacrifice of a red heifer and the water of purification symbolize the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for our sins (Hebrews 9).

COHANIM

The Temple will require a cadre of trained Levites for priests that are direct descendants of Aaron (the first high priest). Cohanim are direct descendants of Aaron and have been identified by the discovery of a unique Y chromosome that allows proper identification of Jews that have descended from Aaron.

TEMPLE INSTITUTE

The Temple Institute was formed to research and create the sacred garments, vessels, and other items used for sacrifice and worship in the Temple as follows:
-Breastplate for the high priest (Exodus 28:29-30).
-Linen robes.
-Mizrak (used to capture blood from sacrificed animals).
-Altar of Burnt Offering.
-Laver of Cleansing (Exodus 30:18-19).
-Golden Candlestick (Exodus 25:31-32). Also called the Menorah.
-Table of Showbread (Exodus 25:23-24).
-Altar of Incense (Exodus 30:1-2).
-Silver Trumpets (Numbers 10:2).

THE ARK OF THE COVENANT

Of all of the conditions that must be met to rebuild the Temple and initiate the sacrificial system (Exodus 37:1-2), the Ark of the Covenant not only plays a key role in the Temple but is perhaps the most familiar object associated with the Tabneracle/Temple (Raiders of the Lost Ark, etc) and the most controversial. The original Ark began its existence in the Tabernacle and contained:
-The Ten Commandments (God’s law to guide Israel).
-The Rod of Aaron (displayed God’s supernatural deliverance from Egypt).
-Manna (daily provisions from heaven).

However, during the time of Solomon the Ark only contained the Ten Commandments (1 Kings 8:9) and disappeared during this time in history. From the time of Solomon’s reign until the present time in history, the Bible does not mention the location of the Ark. Scholars agree that it was not present in the Temple after the Jewish captives returned from Babylon in 536 B.C. The last time the Ark is mentioned in the Bible is in 2 Chronicles 8:11. However, scholars agree the Ark will play a pivotal role in the future. As there is much speculation regarding the existence and/or the current location of the Ark, the four most popular viewpoints are listed as follows:
-The Ark does not exist (previously destroyed).
-The Ark is presently hidden in a secret location under the Temple Mount area (likely from the invading Babylonian armies).
-The Ark is presently hidden in Ethiopia (under the church of St. Mary of Zion in Aksum).
-The Ark has been secretly moved from its location in Ethiopia to a secret location under the Temple mount area (at the end of the Ethiopian civil war).

CONCLUSION

Although the future of the Temple Mount and the location of Temple artifacts is intriguing, the real question is “what is your future in life?” If the Bible is true (and the evidence from science and Scripture indicate that it is), then each person should be concerned with their future destiny and specifically, where you will spend eternity. The Bible clearly says “All have sinned and come short of the Glory of God” (Romans 3:23), and those without a personal acceptance of God will spend eternity in a lake of fire (Revelation 20:15). However, God has provided an alternate choice, and that choice is a free gift that only needs to be accepted by you “For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16), and “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the LORD shall be saved” (Romans 10:13). This is God’s message to you; so have you accepted his free gift of eternal life?

BIBLIOGRAPHY

The following sources offer an expanded view of this subject and can be purchased at the Evangel book store in the Medford Mall or accessed on the internet by going to Google.
-Charting The End Times, Tim LaHaye and Thomas Ice, 2001, Harvest House
-The New Temple and the Second Coming, Grant R. Jeffrey, 2007, Waterbrook Press
-Antiquities of the Jews in Josephus: Complete Works, Flavius Josephus, 1974, Kregel
-Unraveling the Copper Scroll Code, Bargil Pixner, Revue de Qumran, December 1983
-The Coming Last Days Temple, Randall Price, 1999, Harvest House
-New Sanhedrin Plans Rebuilding of Temple, WorldNetDaily.com, June 8, 2005
-Where is the Ark of the Covenant, Arthur Bloomfield, 1976, Minneapolis Bethany

Ezekiel 38 & 39 ~ Part 8

Wednesday Sep 16, 2009 by John Mittendorf

AIRED ON TheDOVE, SEPTEMBER 17, 2009
Perry Atkinson and John Mittendorf

INTRODUCTION
At the start of each program, we try to spend a few minutes on current events that could influence or be relevant to our prophetic discussion as delineated in Ezekiel 38 & 39. So, let’s take a few minutes and discuss current news that relates to our discussion of the prophecy in Ezekiel, and then we will finish this series by turning our back to the focus to the prophetic events of the Ezekiel prophecy.

CURRENT EVENTS
One of the most intriguing events deals with Iran striving to maintain nuclear capability which will have the capability to dramatically change the power structure in the Middle East. The following is a overview of recent events:
o    8-18-09: The Obama administration and the leaders of the G8 Industrialized nations have given Iran a deadline of September to accept serious, high-level negotiations over its nuclear program or risk stiffer sanctions. Thus far, President Ahmadinejad has rejected any negotiations with the “infidels.”
o    08-21-09: Iran’s Supreme Leader, the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has called on Muslims in neighboring countries (Turkey, Iraq, Lebanon, Pakistan and Afghanistan) to intensify preparations for the coming of the Islamic Messiah known as the Mahdi.
o    09-01-09: Careful reading of the IAEA report (International Atomic Energy Association) indicates that Iran now appears to have enough uranium to produce at least two nuclear bombs.

o    09-09-09: Today, Iran began suggesting its own terms for nuclear negotiations with the West.

EZEKIEL 38 & 39
In the last session, we specifically looked at the Reason and the How this prophecy will unfold and dramatically change the world as we now know it. With these thought in mind, let’s again look at Ezekiel 38 & 39 verse by verse and see what God’s word specifically and prophetically delineates in this portion of scripture. For this final session, let’s look at the Aftermath of Ezekiel 38 & 39.
Note: The New King James translation will be used).
AFTERMATH
Ezekiel 39:9-13: Then those who inhabit the cities of Israel will go out and make fires with the weapons and burn them, both shields and bucklers, bows and arrows, war clubs and spears, and for seven years they will make fires of them. They will not take wood from the field or gather firewood from the forests, for they will make fires with the weapons; and they will take the spoil of those who despoiled them and seize the plunder of those who plundered them, declares the Lord. On that day I will give Gog a burial ground there in Israel, the valley of those who pass by the east of the sea, and it will block off those who would pass by. So they will bury Gog there with his horde, and they will call it the valley of Hamon Gog. For seven months the house of Israel will be burying them in order to cleanse the lands. Even all the people of the land will bury them; and it will be to their renown on the day that I glorify myself, declares the Lord GOD.

Of particular interest in this portion of scripture are the following viewpoints:
o    It must be remembered that Ezekiel is writing about the events that God allowed him to see in the future, so either he describes exactly what he saw in this battle (shields, bucklers, bows, arrows, war clubs, spears) that will be actually used, or, he used the only terminology he was familiar with to describe what he saw. How would a prophet before the time of Christ describe modern warfare?
o    The application of the phrase “seven years” is highly debatable with numerous scholars as some believe this prophecy must happen right before the start of the Tribulation as the Tribulation is also “seven years” long. If this is correct, the seven years that are necessary to rid the land of the weapons will conclude at the close of the Tribulation and prior to the beginning of the
thousand year Millennium. However, some scholars believe that if this battle
were to commence during the Tribulation (or at the end of the Tribulation),
then the seven year period that would be necessary to rid the land of the
weapons would carry-over into the Millennium. Lastly, some scholars believe
that this prophecy will happen right before the Tribulation as the conclusion
of the prophecy will leave the world in turmoil which could allow a select
person (anti-Christ?) to step forward and offer to heal the wounds of the past
and unite the world.
o    The valley that will be called Hamon Gog is a major crossroad in this area. Therefore, as people travel through this area they will be constantly reminded of the battle that was overwhelmingly won by God and displayed the protection of his chosen people (Israel).
o    Some scholars believe that if the weapons from the battle are burned for seven years, then it is doubtful that nuclear weapons are involved as nuclear material is not easily disposed of (and/or simply burned).
o    At the conclusion of this prophecy, it is important to note that (1) God has kept his promise to his chosen people (Israel), and (2) from a two-pronged perspective, God personally allows all the nations and Israel (remember Ezekiel 39:7-24) who he is. Therefore, during this time in history, no person will be without excuse in not only knowing who God is but also seeing him display his power!

BIBLIOGRAPHY
The following sources offer an expanded view of this subject and can be purchased at the Evangel book store in the Medford Mall. Four sites are also listed and can be accessed on the internet. The Late Great United States and
What In The World Is Going On are particularly recommended for their date of publication, content, and being an “easy read.”
www.joelrosenberg.com (Flashtraffic).
www.debka-net-weekly.com (Israeli intelligence).
www.israelnewsnow.com (Israeli news).
www.prophecyhotline.com (Prophetic news).
www.raptureready.com (Wide diversity of “end-times” material).
THE LATE GREAT UNITED STATES (*).
Mark Hitchock
2009, Multnomah Publishers
WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOING ON (*)
David Jeremiah
2008, Thomas Nelson Inc.
IRAN THE COMING CRISIS
Mark Hitchock
2006, Multnomah Publishers
EPICENTER
Joel C. Rosenberg
2006, Tyndale Books
ARMAGEDDON, OIL, AND TERROR
John F. Walvoord
2007, Tyndale Publishers
JERUSALEM COUNTDOWN
John Hagee
2007, Front Line Communications
GLOBAL WARNING
Tim LaHaye and Ed Hinson
2007, Harvest House Publishers
SHOWDOWN WITH NUCLEAR IRAN
Michael D. Evans
2006, Nelson Communications
THE SECOND COMING
John MacArthur
2003, Crossway Books
MIDDLE EAST MELTDOWN
John Ankerberg and Dillon Burroughs
2007, Harvest House Publishers
THE NEXT WORLD WAR
Grant R. Jeffrey
2007, Waterbrook Press
THE FIGHT FOR JERUSALEM
Dore Gold
2007, Regnery Publishing, Inc.
CHARTING THE END TIMES
Tim LaHaye and Thomas Ice
2001, Harvest House Publishers

Ezekiel 38 & 39 - Part 7

Wednesday Aug 19, 2009 by John Mittendorf

AIRED ON TheDOVE, AUGUST 20, 2009

Perry Atkinson and John Mittendorf

INTRODUCTION

At the start of each program, we try to spend a few minutes on current events that could influence or be relevant to our prophetic discussion as delineated in Ezekiel 38 & 39. However, as we have spent numerous programs on the evolution-creation debate, there are two noteworthy admissions from the secular scientific community regarding the fallacy of evolution that should be briefly highlighted. So, let’s take a few minutes and discuss these admissions; and in addition, current events, an interesting article that gives advice to Christian students who attend secular colleges and take science classes (which likely begins next month), and then the Reason and Method of the Ezekiel prophecy.

EVOLUTION Vs CREATION

This month, two prominent secular scientific magazines made two remarkable admissions that underscore the fallacy of evolution. The lead article on the cover of the August issue of Astronomy magazine boldly states in large letters “The Day Earth Came To Life,” with a sub title in small letters “In the past, non-living matter started to replicate itself. Scientists are still trying to figure out how.” Although secular science currently endorses the theory of the Big Bang that supposedly happened about 13.7 billion years ago (and which violates the First Law Of Thermodynamics; energy cannot be created or destroyed), there has always been the thorny problem of how life started from non life, particularly since Louis Pasteur and Rudolph Virchow proved in the 1800’s that life only originates from life. This is known as The Law of Biogenetics. Quoting from the aforementioned magazine article on page 24, “It seems that scientists have a good handle on how everything around us began, with one glaring exception: We don’t know where life came from.” The article then goes on to suggest some possible theory’s that might explain this dilemma by using words such as “might,” “could have,” “possible,” and the list goes on. The important point is that secular science cannot explain the origin of life; therefore, evolution has no beginning. However, that beginning is clearly delineated in Genesis 1:1.

MISSING LINK

Since the beginning of the evolution Vs creation debate, secular science has meticulously looked for “the missing link” that would tie the evolution of mammals to humans. Anyone who is familiar with this debate knows that there have been numerous false claims (Piltdown Man, Java Man, etc) and other claims that have been proven to be false or at the least; highly controversial. Interestingly, it is not uncommon for a paleoanthropologist to discover a fossil and quickly make bold claims to the scientific community that are often heralded as a scientific “breakthrough.” Briefly quoting from an article in the August issue of Scientific American, “On May 19, the world met a fossil of a house-cat size primate that lived 47 million years ago and was quickly given the user-friendly name of Ida. In an elaborate public-relations campaign, Ida’s significance was described in no uncertain terms as the missing link between us humans and our primate kin. In news reports, team members called her “the eighth wonder of the world,” the Holy Grail,” and a “Rosetta Stone.” Unfortunately, time has not been kind to these “scientific revelations” as it is now known that Ida is too old to reveal anything about the evolution of humans and may not even be related to the primate family (monkeys, apes, and us). In the meantime, the first and second chapter of Genesis still delineates the origin of man.

CURRENT EVENTS

Since the attack of terrorists on this country on 9/11 and a lack of subsequent attacks, it is easy to assume the threat of terrorist attacks on the United States is minimal and/or a problem for other countries. This is not the case as three major terrorist plots against the United States and Israel have recently been thwarted by three major intelligence and law enforcement operations:

o Egyptian intelligence thwarted a plot by Radicals in Cairo to assassinate the Israeli ambassador to Egypt, bomb Muslim and Christian holy sites, and bomb the gas pipeline that links Egypt and Israel through the Sinai Peninsula.

o Kuwait officials have thwarted a terror plot by al-Qaeda operatives to attack U.S. bases in the Gulf kingdom (we have about 15,000 forces there).

o A terrorist sleeper cell in North Carolina that was run by radical Islamic jihadists was thwarted by the FBI. They had prepared to engage in violent jihad and were willing to die as martyrs.

From a different perspective, Israel, Russia, and Iran have also been in the news as follows:

o The Obama administration and the leaders of the G8 industrialized nations have given Iran a deadline of September to accept serious, high-level negotiations over its nuclear program or risk stiffer economic sanctions. So far, Ahmadinejad has rejected any negotiations with the “infidels.”

o Israeli President Shimon Peres has met with his Russian counterpart, Dmitry Medvedev and expressed Israel’s serious and growing concerns about the state of the Russian-Iranian alliance (Ezekiel 38?), Russia’s continued assistance to Iran’s nuclear program, and the extreme views of the Iranian regime, and the gravity of Iran acquiring nuclear weapons.

o In a separate but related note, there are growing concerns expressed by evangelical Christian leaders in Georgia that Russia may be preparing to attack the small democratic republic. Interestingly, Russia needs to go through Georgia and the Caucasus, Turkey, Syria, and Lebanon to reach the northern border of Israel.

CHRISTIAN STUDENTS RETURNING TO SECULAR SCHOOLS

An item that we have previously discussed is the dilemma that Christian students face when they attend a secular school and are confronted by secular science and its claims that are directly opposed to the biblical account of creation. This month, Dr, Jason Lisle (Astrophysics) with Answers in Genesis authored an excellent article titled “Surviving Secular College.” The complete article can be found at www.answersingenesis.org, and then type Surviving Secular College in the search engine if the article is not readily displayed. The article is highlighted as follows:

Staying in the Word and Prayer

A Christian must make it a priority to spend time studying the Bible and praying (Psalm 119:11 & 15).

Fellowship

The importance of being part of a Bible-teaching church cannot be overstated (Hebrews 10:24-25).

Biblical “Glasses” and Biblical Resources

A Christian student must be discerning about the information presented in the classroom and be constantly on guard and not conformed to the thinking of the secular world (Romans 12:2).

Remaining Silent

It is recommended that students of science use discretion when talking about creation. Specifically, they should not (in most circumstances) let their professors know that they believe in creation if at all possible. This does not mean that they should lie; rather, it means that they should not volunteer that information. There is an appropriate time and season (Ecclesiastes 3:1). A student should put down the answer that they have been taught in class as they are being tested on what they understand they have been taught in class; they are not being tested on what the student believes is true.

EZEKIEL 38 & 39

In the last session, we specifically looked at Ezekiel 39 & 39 from the perspective of the When and Why this prophecy will unfold and dramatically change the world as we now know it. With these thought in mind, let’s again look at Ezekiel 38 & 39 verse by verse and see what God’s word specifically and prophetically delineates in this portion of scripture. For this session, let’s look at the Reason and Method of Ezekiel 38 & 39.

Note: The New King James translation will be used).

REASON

Ezekiel 38:15-17: You will come from your place out of the remote parts of the north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great assembly and a might army; and you will come up against My people Israel like a cloud to cover the land. It shall come about in the last days that I will bring you against My land, so that the nations may know me when I am sanctified through you before their eyes, O Gog. Are you the one of whom I spoke in former days through My servants the prophets of Israel, who prophesied in those days for many years that I would bring you against them? I will magnify Myself, sanctify Myself, and make Myself known in the sight of many nations; and then they will know that I am the Lord.

Ezekiel 39:7-24: My holy name I will make known in the midst of My people Israel; and I will not let My holy name be profaned anymore. And the nations will know that I am the Lord, the Holy One in Israel. Behold, it is coming and it shall be done, declares the Lord God. That is the day of which I have spoken. And I will set my glory among the nations; and all the nations will see My judgment which I have executed and My hand which I have laid on them. And the house of Israel will know that I am the LORD their God from that day

onward. The nations will know that the house of Israel went into exile for their iniquity because they acted treacherously against Me, and I hid my face from them; so I gave them into the hand of their adversaries, and all of them fell by the sword. According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions I dealt with them, and I hid My face from them.

METHOD

Ezekiel 38:18-22: That My fury will mount up in My anger. In my zeal and in My blazing wrath I declare that on that day there will surely be a great earthquake in the land of Israel. The fish of the sea, the birds of the heavens, the beasts of the fields, all the creeping things that creep on the earth, and all the men who are on the face of the earth will shake at My presence; the mountains also will be thrown down, the steep pathways will collapse and every wall will fall to the ground. I will call for a sword against him on all My mountains, declares the Lord GOD. Every man’s sword will be against his brother. With pestilence and with blood I will enter into judgment with him; and I will rain on him and his troops, and on the many peoples who are with him, a torrential rain, with hailstones, fire and brimstone.

Ezekiel 39:3-6: I will strike your bow from your left hand and dash down your arrows from your right hand. You will fall on the mountains of Israel, you and all your troops and the peoples who are with you; I will give you as food to every kind of predatory bird and beast of the field. You will fall on the open field; for it is I who have spoken, declares the Lord God. And I will send fire upon Magog and those who inhabit the coastlands in safety; and they will know that I am the LORD.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

The following sources offer an expanded view of this subject and can be purchased at the Evangel book store in the Medford Mall. Four sites are also listed and can be accessed on the internet. The Late Great United States and

What In The World Is Going On are particularly recommended for their date of publication, content, and being an “easy read.”

www.joelrosenberg.com (Flashtraffic).

www.debka-net-weekly.com (Israeli intelligence).

www.israelnewsnow.com (Israeli news).

www.prophecyhotline.com (Prophetic news).

www.raptureready.com (Wide diversity of “end-times” material).

THE LATE GREAT UNITED STATES (*).

Mark Hitchock

2009, Multnomah Publishers

WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOING ON (*)

David Jeremiah

2008, Thomas Nelson Inc.

IRAN THE COMING CRISIS

Mark Hitchock

2006, Multnomah Publishers

EPICENTER

Joel C. Rosenberg

2006, Tyndale Books

ARMAGEDDON, OIL, AND TERROR

John F. Walvoord

2007, Tyndale Publishers

JERUSALEM COUNTDOWN

John Hagee

2007, Front Line Communications

FINANCIAL ARMAGEDDON

John Hagee

2008, Front Line Communications

GLOBAL WARNING

Tim LaHaye and Ed Hinson

2007, Harvest House Publishers

SHOWDOWN WITH NUCLEAR IRAN

Michael D. Evans

2006, Nelson Communications

THE SECOND COMING

John MacArthur

2003, Crossway Books

MIDDLE EAST MELTDOWN

John Ankerberg and Dillon Burroughs

2007, Harvest House Publishers

THE NEXT WORLD WAR

Grant R. Jeffrey

2007, Waterbrook Press

THE FIGHT FOR JERUSALEM

Dore Gold

2007, Regnery Publishing, Inc.

CHARTING THE END TIMES

Tim LaHaye and Thomas Ice

2001, Harvest House Publishers

Ezekiel 38 & 39 - Part 6

Tuesday Jul 21, 2009 by John Mittendorf

AIRED ON theDOVE, JULY 23, 2009
Perry Atkinson and John Mittendorf

INTRODUCTION
This series began by taking a quick look at global events that seem to have a significant number of people asking questions that focus on the “last days” and Bible prophecy.” When listening to the radio, watching television, or reading a newspaper, the rapidly changing world events seem to signal that humanity, the world economy, and this planet are spiraling downward to the point that it is becoming obvious that something must radically change or else a point of no return will have been reached.

Bible prophecy is very clear on the subject of mankind - - sin will continue to increase to the point that Christ will return to this earth, destroy Satan and his armies, and establish a new kingdom. Additionally, the Bible is also very clear that Russia will form a coalition of Islamic countries and march on Israel to occupy the land and destroy its Jewish inhabitants. Interestingly, this will be attempted without any resistance from Israel or other countries as delineated in Ezekiel 38 and 39.

In the last session, we started to specifically look at Ezekiel 39 & 39 from the perspective of the who and how this prophecy will unfold and dramatically change the world as we now know it. As this portion of scripture is interesting from the perspective that the current events in the Middle East appear to be setting the stage for the Ezekiel prophecy, let’s take a brief look at four current events that appear to be linked to biblical prophecy:
o    The Euphrates river is drying up as a result of the water policies of Turkey and Syria; a two-year drought; and years of misuse by Iraq and its farmers. This has resulted in a river that is significantly smaller than it was just a few years ago. This has decimated farms along its banks, and has left fisherman impovererished and has depleted riverside towns as farmers flee to the cities looking for work. Some officials worry that it could soon be half of what it is now. Although the shrinking of the Euphrates river is a significant detriment to one of the world’s great rivers (it was also crucial to the birth of civilization), it is noteworthy that the book of Revelation (Rev. 16:12) prophesied that the Euphrates river would dry up as a sign of the end times. Although this is a dynamic and not a static development, it is certainly another curious development.
o    German Intelligence has reported (July 15, 2009) that Iran has mastered the enrichment technology necessary to make a bomb and has enough centrifuges to make weaponised uranium which could lead to detonating an atomic bomb in half a year’s time.
o    Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has again pressed for a one-world supernational currency (July 12, 2009) to replace the dollar. The coin (which he carries) bears the English words “United Future World Currency.”
o    Bible prophecy says the ancient city of Babylon, Iraq will be rebuilt and become the greatest center of wealth, commerce and power in the “last days” of history. The books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Revelation are explicit on this subject. Interestingly, Babylon is currently being rebuilt, in part with U.S. taxpayer funds. Consider the June 28, 2009, edition of Stars & Stripes, a U.S. military publication which headlined: “U.S., Iraqi experts developing plan to preserve Babylon, build local tourism industry.” To facilitate this development, the State Department and the World Monuments Fund have committed $700,000 to the project which will be used to preserve the site and develop a local tourism industry. It is expected that as Iraq becomes increasingly stable and secure, direct foreign investment will increase, and Iraq will become the wealthiest country on this planet. As an example, Exxon Mobil (as well as other major oil companies) is positioning itself to become a major investor in the Iraq energy sector. Lastly, consider this headline from the Associated Press: “World’s big oil companies prepare for return to Iraq.”

With these thought in mind, let’s again look at Ezekiel 38 & 39 verse by verse and see what God’s word specifically and prophetically delineates concerning the who, what, when, and why in this portion of scripture. During the last session, we looked at the countries that will be part of the invasion force to march on Israel (the Who of Ezekiel 38). For this session, lets look at the When and Why of Ezekiel 38.
Note: The New King James translation will be used).

EZEKIEL 38
SUMMARY
o    Ezekiel 38:1 to 39:29 delineates the removal of Israel’s enemies from the land.
o    Ezekiel 38:1-16 delineates the invasion of Gog to plunder Israel.
o    Ezekiel 38:17 to 39:29 delineates the intervention of God to protect Israel.

WHEN
(Ezekiel 38:8-11) After many days you will be visited. In the latter years you will come into the land of those brought back from the sword and gathered from many people on the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate; they were brought out of the nations, and now all of them dwell safely. You will ascend, coming like a storm, covering their land like a cloud, you and all your troops and many peoples with you. Thus says the Lord GOD: On that day it shall come to pass that thoughts will arise in your mind, and you will make an evil plan. You will say, I will go up against a land of unwalled villages; I will go to a peaceful people, who dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates.

Although there are many opinions on the meaning of the latter years, a land that is restored from the sword, unwalled villages, and living securely, it is a fact that when modern Israel is compared to her scattered past, that Israel has currently been “gathered from many nations, restored from the sword, are living in unwalled villages, and are living securely (as compared to the past).”  However, many scholars believe that:
o    The words “latter years” refers to Israel’s restoration. That began in May of 1948.
o    The words “dwell safely” occurs in several contexts devoted to the Israelites blessed estate after God has brought them back to their land (Ez. 28:26, 34:25-28, 39:26, Jer. 32:37, and Zech. 14:11).

o    The words “unwalled villages” refers to that period of 3.5 years when Israel is secure under the protection of the world-ruling “prince that shall come,” called Antichrist (Dan 9:27).

WHY
(Ezekiel 38:12-13) To capture great spoil and to seize plunder, to turn your hand against the waste places which are now inhabited, and against the people who are gathered from the nations, who have acquired cattle and goods, who live at the center of the world. Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarsish with all its villages will say to you, “have you come to capture spoil? Have you assembled your company to seize plunder, to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to capture great spoil?”
Wealth
The following are a few facts that summarize the current wealth of Israel:
o    Citrus exports are $1 billion
o    Agriculture exports are $3.3 billion
o    Flower exports are over $238 million
o    Home of millionaires
o    Leads the world in exports of industrial oils, fertilizers, and polished diamonds
o    One of world’s high-tech leaders and a magnet for foreign investors
o    The mineral deposits in the Dead Sea are so great they cannot be appraised on today’s market
o    Israel is projected to be one of the world’s ten richest countries in less than ten years
o    The GDP of Israel almost exceeds the total GDP of Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan

So, what would drive a Russian led coalition to attack Israel for “Great Spoil?”

o    Searching For Oil In Israel, CBS News, September 20, 2005
o    Is Israel Sitting On An Enormous Oil Reserve?, WorldNetDaily, September 21, 2005
o    A Vision Of Oil In the Holy Land, Newsweek, June 13, 2005

Does the Bible allude to the fact that there is oil in Israel?

o    Genesis 49:25, blessing of the deep that lie beneath

o    Deuteronomy 33:13, from the deep lying beneath
o    Deuteronomy 33:19, hidden treasures of the sand
o    Deuteronomy 33:24, may he dip his foot in oil
o    Deuteronomy 32:12-13, and oil from the flinty rock
o    Isaiah 45:3, hidden wealth of secret places

In our session in August, we will consider the Reason of this prophecy.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
The following sources offer an expanded view of this subject and can be purchased at the Evangel book store in the Medford Mall. Four sites are also listed and can be accessed on the internet. The Late Great United States and
What In The World Is Going On are particularly recommended for their date of publication, content, and being an “easy read.”
www.joelrosenberg.com (Flashtraffic).
www.debka-net-weekly.com (Israeli intelligence).
www.israelnewsnow.com (Israeli news).
www.prophecyhotline.com (Prophetic news).
www.raptureready.com (Wide diversity of “end-times” material).
THE LATE GREAT UNITED STATES (*).
Mark Hitchock
2009, Multnomah Publishers
WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOING ON (*)
David Jeremiah
2008, Thomas Nelson Inc.
IRAN THE COMING CRISIS
Mark Hitchock
2006, Multnomah Publishers
EPICENTER
Joel C. Rosenberg
2006, Tyndale Books
ARMAGEDDON, OIL, AND TERROR
John F. Walvoord
2007, Tyndale Publishers
JERUSALEM COUNTDOWN
John Hagee
2007, Front Line Communications

FINANCIAL ARMAGEDDON
John Hagee
2008, Front Line Communications
GLOBAL WARNING
Tim LaHaye and Ed Hinson
2007, Harvest House Publishers
SHOWDOWN WITH NUCLEAR IRAN
Michael D. Evans
2006, Nelson Communications
THE SECOND COMING
John MacArthur
2003, Crossway Books
MIDDLE EAST MELTDOWN
John Ankerberg and Dillon Burroughs
2007, Harvest House Publishers
THE NEXT WORLD WAR
Grant R. Jeffrey
2007, Waterbrook Press
THE FIGHT FOR JERUSALEM
Dore Gold
2007, Regnery Publishing, Inc.
CHARTING THE END TIMES
Tim LaHaye and Thomas Ice
2001, Harvest House Publishers

Ezekiel 38 & 39-Part 5

Wednesday Jun 24, 2009 by John Mittendorf

EZEKIEL 38 & 39
Part 5

AIRED ON theDOVE, JUNE 25, 2009
Perry Atkinson and John Mittendorf

INTRODUCTION
This series began by taking a quick look at global events that seem to have a significant number of people asking questions that focus on the “last days” and Bible prophecy?” When listening to the radio, watching television, or reading a newspaper, the rapidly changing world events seem to signal that humanity, the world economy, and this planet are spiraling downward to the point that it is becoming obvious that something must radically change or else a point of no return will have been reached.

Bible prophecy is very clear on the subject of mankind - - sin will continue to increase to the point that Christ will return to this earth, destroy Satan and his armies, and establish a new kingdom. Additionally, the Bible is also very clear that Russia will form a coalition of Islamic countries and march on Israel to occupy the land and destroy its Jewish inhabitants. Interestingly, this will be attempted without any resistance from Israel or western countries as delineated in Ezekiel 38 and 39.

In the last several sessions, we have had the privilege to interview Joel Rosenberg and discuss his perspective on currents events in the Middle East and specifically, the prophecy that is delineated in Ezekiel 38 & 39 (CD’s of the interview are available from TheDove). In the last session, we graphically traveled back to Adam and Eve to see how their sin resulted in a prophecy countdown, and then overviewed how the Arabic people split from God’s chosen people; the nation of Israel, and sub-sequentially has brought us to the spiraling turmoil we currently see in the Middle East. Interestingly, the aftermath of the recent elections in Iran have gained worldwide attention as it appears that the Mullah-led government is under significant opposition (riots, etc) from the Iranian people who are demonstrating against what they feel is a “rigged election” and for democracy. This revolution has the potential to dramatically change the current Iranian government, their worldview, and their status in the Islamic countries. The next several weeks could very-well see significant changes
in Iran. If not, it is obvious there is an underlying resentment against the current Mullah-led government.

With these thought in mind, let’s look at Ezekiel 38 & 39 verse by verse and see what God’s word specifically and prophetically delineates concerning the who, what, when, and why in this portion of scripture
Note: The New King James translation will be used).

EZEKIEL 38
SUMMARY
o    Ezekiel 38:1 to 39:29 delineates the removal of Israel’s enemies from the land.
o    Ezekiel 38:1-16 delineates the invasion of Gog to plunder Israel.
o    Ezekiel 38:17 to 39:29 delineates the intervention of God to protect Israel.

WHO
(Ezekiel 38:1-6) Now the word of the LORD came to me saying, Son of man, set your face against Gog of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Mesh, and Tubal, and prophesy against him, and say, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the prince Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal. I will turn you around, put hooks into your jaws, and lead you out, with all your army, horses, and horsemen, all splendidly clothed, a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords. Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya are with them, all of them with shield and helmet; Gomer and all its troops; the house of Togarmah from the far north and all its troops - - many people are with you.
(Ezekiel 38:13) Sheba, Dedan, the merchants of Tarshish, and all their young lions will say to you - - have you come to take plunder? Have you gathered your army to take booty, to carry away silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods, to take great plunder?

Gog - - Title (prince/leader, etc).
Magog, Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal - - These four countries are Russia and the                                  former Soviet Republics.
Persia - - Iran.
Cush - - Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea.
Put - - Libya, Algeria, Tunisia.
Gomer - - Turkey, Germany, and Austria.
Togarmah - - Turkey, Armenia, Asia Minor and Central Asia.
Many Peoples - - Includes Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan.
Sheba and Dedan - - Gulf States (Saudia Arabia, etc).
All The Young Lions - - Possibly Great Britain, America, Australia, and New Zealand.
Note: The countries in italics are not confirmed but are possibilities and are debated by scholars.

Interestingly, although the aforementioned list of countries are fundamentally Islamic and hate Israel, there are two countries that are missing, are close to Israel, are Islamic, and also hate Israel. Those two countries are Egypt and Iraq and the reason is two-fold:
o    Egypt signed a peace treaty in 1976 (Camp David).
o    Iraq is no longer under the control of a dictator (Saddam).

It should come as no surprise that this portion of scripture was written by the prophet Ezekiel over 2,000 years ago (about 580 years B.C.) and although some of the names of the listed countries have changed (i.e., Persia is now Iran), it has recently become apparent that these countries have multiple common interests:
o    They hate Israel and support her destruction.
o    They are basically Islamic nations and/or have a high percentage of Islamic people.
o    They are a northern confederacy who are currently forming a common alliance (power, strength, etc). As an example, Putin (Russia) has recently courted the Supreme Leader of Iran (Ayatollah Ali Khamenei) and has specifically asked him to strengthen bilateral ties and become partners in the political, economic, regional and international domain. Additionally, Russia has completed one nuclear reactor in Iran, is preparing to build a second reactor, and has delivered 30 Tor-M’s to Iran.

WHEN
(Ezekiel 38:8-11) After many days you will be visited. In the latter years you will come into the land of those brought back from the sword and gathered from many people on the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate; they were brought out of the nations, and now all of them dwell safely. You will ascend, coming like a storm, covering their land like a cloud, you and all your troops and many peoples with you. Thus says the Lord GOD: On that day it shall come to pass that thoughts will arise in your mind, and you will make an evil plan. You will say, I will go up against a land of unwalled villages; I will go to a peaceful people, who dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates.

Although there are many opinions on the meaning of the latter years, a land that is restored from the sword, unwalled villages, and living securely, it is a fact that when modern Israel is compared to her scattered past, that Israel has currently been “gathered from many nations, restored from the sword, are living in unwalled villages, and are living securely (as compared to the past).”  However, many scholars believe that:
o    The words “latter years” refers to Israel’s restoration. That began in May of 1948.
o    The words “dwell safely” occurs in several contexts devoted to the Israelites blessed estate after God has brought them back to their land (28:26, 34:25-28, 39:26, Jer. 32:37, and Zech. 14:11).
o    The words “unwalled villages” refers to that period of 3.5 years when Israel is secure under the protection of the world-ruling “prince that shall come,” called Antichrist (Dan 9:27).

In our session in July, we will consider the Why and Reason of this prophecy.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
The following sources offer an expanded view of this subject and can be purchased at the Evangel book store in the Medford Mall. Four sites are also listed and can be accessed on the internet. The Late Great United States and What In The World Is Going On are particularly recommended for their date of publication, content, and being an “easy read.”
www.joelrosenberg.com (Flashtraffic).
www.debka-net-weekly.com (Israeli intelligence).
www.israelnewsnow.com (Israeli news).
www.prophecyhotline.com (Prophetic news).
www.raptureready.com (Wide diversity of “end-times” material).
THE LATE GREAT UNITED STATES (*).
Mark Hitchock
2009, Multnomah Publishers
WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOING ON (*)
David Jeremiah
2008, Thomas Nelson Inc.
IRAN THE COMING CRISIS
Mark Hitchock
2006, Multnomah Publishers
EPICENTER
Joel C. Rosenberg
2006, Tyndale Books
ARMAGEDDON, OIL, AND TERROR
John F. Walvoord
2007, Tyndale Publishers
JERUSALEM COUNTDOWN
John Hagee
2007, Front Line Communications
FINANCIAL ARMAGEDDON
John Hagee
2008, Front Line Communications
GLOBAL WARNING
Tim LaHaye and Ed Hinson
2007, Harvest House Publishers
SHOWDOWN WITH NUCLEAR IRAN
Michael D. Evans
2006, Nelson Communications
THE SECOND COMING
John MacArthur
2003, Crossway Books
MIDDLE EAST MELTDOWN
John Ankerberg and Dillon Burroughs
2007, Harvest House Publishers
THE NEXT WORLD WAR
Grant R. Jeffrey
2007, Waterbrook Press
THE FIGHT FOR JERUSALEM
Dore Gold
2007, Regnery Publishing, Inc.
CHARTING THE END TIMES
Tim LaHaye and Thomas Ice
2001, Harvest House Publishers

Ezekial 38 & 39 Part 2

Tuesday Mar 24, 2009 by John Mittendorf

AIRED ON TheDOVE, MARCH 26, 2009
Perry Atkinson and John Mittendorf

INTRODUCTION
During our last session on March 19, we began this series by taking a quick look at global events that seem to have a significant number of people asking questions that focus on the “last days” and “is America mentioned in Bible prophecy?” When listening to the radio, watching television, or reading a newspaper, the rapidly changing world events seem to signal that humanity, the world economy, and this planet are spiraling downward to the point that it is becoming obvious that something must radically change or else a point of no return will have been reached.
Bible prophecy is very clear on the subject of mankind - - sin will continue to increase to the point that Christ will return to this earth, destroy Satan and his armies, and establish a new kingdom. Additionally, the Bible is also very clear that Russia will form a coalition of Islamic countries and march on Israel to occupy the land and destroy its Jewish inhabitants. Interestingly, this will be attempted without any resistance from Israel or western countries as delineated in Ezekiel 38.
In our last session on March 19th, we overviewed the question of “is America mentioned in Bible prophecy?” To continue with this series and as it appears that Russia is currently actively engaged in forming alliances with the very countries that are mentioned in Ezekiel 38, lets focus on Russia, Iran, and Islam from the perspective how these two nations and an ideology are coming together as predicted in Ezekiel over 2,500 years ago. First, let’s look at three prophetic guidelines:

PROPHETIC GUIDELINES
o    JESUS WILL RETURN!! Matt 24:37
o    THE TIME IS UNKNOWN!!  Matt 24:36
o    BE READY!!  Matt 24:42

RUSSIA
Although Medvedev is the current president of Russia, Vladimir Putin is the Prime Minister and the real power “behind the scenes.” The following is an overview of Vladimir Putin and Russia:
o    Past head of the KGB and Russia’s top spy.
o    During Putin’s tenure as President, he centralized all power to himself by appointing all regional governors, nationalized Russian television networks, extended the two-year limit on presidential terms, and put political opponents into prison on suspected charges.
o    Actively selling nuclear power plants, fuel, arms, and technology to Iran and some other Islamic states.
o    Wants future control over the world’s oil supplies (remember Georgia?).
o    Has vowed to return Russia to its former “position of prominence in the world.”
o    Believes that the “demise of the Soviet Union was the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the century.”
o    Currently building political, economic, and military ties with the very countries described in Ezekiel.
o    Putin has asked the Iranian Supreme Leader (Ayatollah Ali Khamenei) to strengthen bilateral ties and become partners in the political, economic, regional and international domain.
o    The dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 enhanced the rise of the revived Roman Empire - - the European Union (EU).
WHY WILL RUSSIA LEAD AN INVASION AGAINST ISRAEL?
o    To be a world superpower, Russia needs energy - - oil. Additionally, if Russia controls the oil in the Mideast, they also can control the energy needs of the world. For years, Russia has been building relationships and signing treaties with Islamic nations that produce oil. As an example, Iran is considered by Russia to be a strategic energy partner, and in turn, Russia has allowed her nuclear scientists to direct Iran’s nuclear program and build a nuclear reactor (in Iran) with a second reactor to be constructed in the near future.
o    The mineral deposits in the Dead Sea have been estimated as incalculable. It has been projected there is two billion tons of potassium chloride, twelve billion tons of sodium chloride, and twenty-two billion tons magnesium chloride.
o    Russia needs a warm water port (as opposed to their port in the Baltic Sea) into the oceans of the world.
o    Russia has delivered 30 Tor-M1’s to Iran at a cost of 700 million (currently the most advanced surface to air missile system available).

IRAN
o    The history of Iran (the name was changed from Persia to Iran in 1935, and to the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1979) goes back to biblical times. In Daniel 2:36-45, he prophesied to Nebuchadnezzar about the current and coming world empires by interpreting the great image (the metallic man) in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. The chest and arms of silver represented the Medeo-Persian Empire.
o    The Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is the ”behind the scenes leader” of Iran. Akmadinejad is the front person.
o    The major problem in the Middle East is the convergence of Radical Islam and nuclear technology at the same time in Iran.
o    The Iranian nuclear crisis officially began on January 9, 2006, when Iran broke the International Atomic Agency (IAEA) seals that had been placed on two nuclear power plants, and restarted its nuclear program. The plants were the Uranium Conversion Facility at Isfahan and the Centrifuge Plant at Natanz.
o    Iran is the command post for global terror.
o    Iran is dominated by Shiite Islam whose spiritual leaders are called Imams and are blood relatives of the prophet Ali, Muhammad’s cousin.
o    Iran is currently benefiting from five advantages:
(1) The fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 which tended to restrain radical Islam.
(2) The war with Iraq ended in 1988.
(3) The overstretched U.S. military in Iraq and Afghanistan.
(4) The West (U.S.) dependence on oil.
(5) Extensive ties with Russia and China.
o    Iran’s hatred for America and Israel is without limit.
o    Akmadinejad believes he is the “chosen one” to usher in the arrival of the Mahdi/Twelfth Imam.
o    Akmadinejad believes that if he starts WW III, the Islamic Messiah will suddenly and mysteriously appear and he will lead the “holy warriors” of radical Islam to a global Sharia, meaning that every nation on earth will be under Islamic law.
o    The primary difference between Akmadinejad and Hitler, Stalin and other similar dictators is that Akmadinejad believes that it is an honor for him to die, whereas the other dictators wanted to live.
o    Akmadinejad believes that he is invincible - - “I have a connection with God, since God said infidels will have no way to harm believers.”
o    Nearing (if not currently there) completion of nuclear capability.
o    Actively buying sophisticated arms from Russia and North Korea (or anyone else that will sell them).
o    North Korea is actively working with Iran to develop its nuclear program.
o    Ahmadinejad - - “The United States and the Zionist regime of Israel will soon come to the end of their lives” September 2007.
o    Ahmadinejad - - “Today, the time for the fall of the satanic power of the United States has come and the countdown to the annihilation of the emperor of power and wealth has started” June 2008.
o    Radical Islam is at war with the world. Here is a sampling:
- Iranian hostage crisis, 1979
- American embassy in Beirut, 1983
- American Marine barracks, Beiruit, Labanon, 1983
- New York World Trade Center, 1983
- U.S. Embassy in Tanzania, 1998
- USS Cole, 2000
- 9/11, 2001
- Bali, Indonesia, 2002
- Madrid Spain, 2004
- London, England, 2005
- Paris, France, 2005
- Canada, Spain, etc.
o    Iran has made three threats to counter a strike on its nuclear facilities:
(1) Unleash its terror network on the U.S. and globally.
(2) Would play the “oil card.”
(3) The U.S. would lose more political and diplomatic ground in the Middle
East.

ISLAM
OVERVIEW
o    There are 57 Islamic nations (1.3 billion people or 1/5th of the world’s population), of which 22 are Arab nations (300 million people).
o    Terrorism is not an enemy, it is a method. You do not make war on a method.
o    The goal of Islam is (1) to drive all westerners out of the Middle East, (2) exterminate Christians and Jews, and (3) establish a one-world Islamic government and religion.
o    Cal Thomas - - “It is life or death. We want to live and they want us dead. Any questions?”
o    September 11 proved that radical Islam has the will to kill Americans, and they have the will to conquer us. They just lack the power. When they have a nuclear weapon, radical Islam will have the power and will to use it to attack America and Israel!
o    The IRIB has posted a lengthy document titled “The World Toward Illumination.” The document is a transcript of an IRIB series on the imminent arrival of the Mahdi, the Twelfth or Hidden Imam, awaited by Shiites as the Messiah. His uprising will begin in Mecca, and then he will march on Iraq, where he will establish his “seat of world government” in the city of Kufa and subjugate the world powers (Middle East Media Research Institute).
MILITANT MUSLIMS BELIEVE:
o    All Muslims are soldiers in Allah’s army who must fight, or, if they don’t fight, financially support those who do.
o    All non-Muslims are their enemy.
o    All non-Muslims must be forced to submit to Islam.
o    All territory that has ever been under Islamic rule must be brought back under Islamic rule forever.
o    When Muslims are the majority, they must control the government.
o    The Jews are only temporary residents of Jerusalem and Israel.
o    There can be no concessions to non-Muslims.
o    Muslims can sign a temporary peace treaty and break it if doing so advances the cause of Islam.
o    Muslims are in a holy war, Jihad (my inner struggle) until Judgment Day.
o    “Hudna” is the Islamic process of establishing a covenant with an enemy to gain concessions and/or regain strength. It can be broken at will.
WHAT THE ISLAMIC FAITH TEACHES:
o    Christians and Jews have distorted the scriptures (they believe the Bible is full of errors), but the teachings of Allah’s messenger, Muhammad, supersede those of Jesus and all others.
o     Muhammad corrected the distortions and gave Islam the Quran.
o    Muslims worship the moon God of Mecca called Allah.
o    Muslims say Allah cannot be known in a personal way.
o    Muslims say Allah made a covenant with Abraham to give the Promised Land to Ishmael’s descendants.
o    Muslims believe in a Messiah called the Mahdi/Twelfth Imam.
o    Muslims say the Messiah will conquer Israel.
o    Muslims believe their God commands Islamo-fascists to kill anyone who does not believe Allah is the only God.
o    Islamo-fascists consider it an honor to die fighting Christians and Jews. The death of a martyr is their only sure way to get to heaven and the seventy-two virgins that await them in paradise.
o    “Fight and slay the Pagans wherever you find them, and seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them in every stratagem (of war) - - Surah 9:5.”
o    “The punishment of those who wage war against Allah and his Messenger and Strive with might and main mischief through the land is; execution, or crucifixion, or the cutting off of hands and feet from opposite sides, or exile from the land; that is the disgrace in this world, and a heavy punishment is theirs in the Hereafter - - Surah 5:33.

DID YOU KNOW?
o    When the CIA confiscated records from the computer of Dr. Sultan Bashiruddin Mahmood, a former chairman of Pakistan’s Atomic Energy Commission, they discovered evidence from Mahmood’s computer that at least one Al-Qaeda nuke had been forward deployed to the United States from Karachi in a cargo container. On October 11, 2001, George Tenet, former CIA director, met with President Bush to inform him that at least two tactical nukes had reached Al-Qaeda operatives in the United States. This news was substantiated by Pakistan’s ISI, the CIA, and the FBI (WorldNetDaily, September 3, 2005, Article ID=46127).
o    Abdul Qadeer Khan, the father of Pakistan’s Atomic Bomb has admitted to “freely selling nuclear technology to Iran, Libya, and North Korea between 1989 and 1991 so they could become nuclear powers and strengthen the Islamic world” (Daily Telegraph of London, England, February 3, 2004).
o    Paul L. Williams, a former consultant to the FBI on terrorism, indicates that there is empirical proof that Al-Qaeda possesses nukes. Additionally, Williams reports that there just isn’t one team in the United States, but at least seven. They are working within mosques and Islamic centers. Seven U.S. cities have been targeted for simultaneous terrorist attacks. They are New York, Miami, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington D.C. (WorldNetDaily, September 3, 2005, Paul Williams Details American Hiroshima).
o    Hezbollah and Al-Qaeda are working with the MS-13 gang. Hezbollah is paying between $3,000 to $5,000 dollars for each Hezbollah member to be smuggled into America and Al-Qaeda is paying between $25,000 to $50,000 for an Al-Qaeda member smuggled into America (Because They Hate Us, Brigitte Gabriel).

DEFINITIONS
When referring to the conflict in the Middle East and global terrorism, the same names keep appearing in the media. The following definitions give an overview of the most common organizations/terms that are associated with radical Islamic terrorism:
o    Al-Aqsa Intifada- - means “uprising.”
o    Al-Qaeda - - means the “base” in Arabic. Founded in 1979 in Afghanistan by Osama bin Laden.
o    Hamas - - means “Islamic Resistance Movement.” Founded in the Gaza Strip in 1987 for the express purpose of eliminating Israel. Currently the ruling party in the Palestinian parliament.
o    Hezbollah - - means “Party of God.” Founded in 1982 by followers of Iranian cleric Ayatollah Khomeini. Considered an arm of Iran with the primary purpose of destroying Israel.
o    Jihad - - “holy war,” or “my inner struggle.”
o    Mahdi - - “rightly guided one.”
o    Mahdaviat - - “a belief in and efforts to prepare for the Mahdi.”
o    Imam Mahdi - - “may God hasten His Reapppearance.”
o    Sharia - - Every nation on earth will be under Islamic law.
o    Several other terrorist groups that occasionally surface are the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

SIX-STEP PROCEDURE FOR MAKING A NUCLEAR BOMB
DIG IT
o    Mine uranium ore and soak with sulfuric acid, leaching out pure uranium.
CRUNCH IT
o    Dry the uranium and filter into a coarse powder - - “Yellow Cake.”
BAKE IT
o    Expose to fluorine gas and heat to 133-degrees F, converting into the gas uranium hexafluoride.
SPIN IT
o    Spin in a centrifuge at the speed of sound. This removes the heavier U-238 and keeps the lighter U-235 (fissionable material).
SPIN IT AGAIN
o    Keep feeding into additional centrifuges (cascading) where the purity of the U-235 is increased. When 20% pure, it is considered highly enriched. To achieve 90% purity (weapons grade) requires about a year of this process.
SQUEEZE IT
o    When the desired purity is reached, the enriched uranium ore is converted into a metal powder, uranium oxide, it can be molded into a sphere and placed into a weapon (Nuclear Terrorism, Graham Allison, Times Books, 2004).

CONCLUSION
The real question is “what is your future in life?” If the Bible is true (and the evidence from science and Scripture indicate that it is), then each person should be concerned with their future destiny and specifically, where you will spend eternity. The Bible clearly says “All have sinned and come short of the Glory of God” (Romans 3:23), and those without a personal acceptance of God will spend eternity in a lake of fire (Revelation 20:15). However, God has provided an alternate choice, and that choice is a free gift that only needs to be accepted by you “For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16), and “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the LORD shall be saved” (Romans 10:13). This is God’s message to you, so have you accepted his free gift of eternal life?

Part 3 of this series will continue on The DOVE, April 16, 2009, at 8:30 am.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
The following sources offer an expanded view of this subject and can be purchased at the Evangel book store in the Medford Mall. Four sites are also listed and can be accessed on the internet. The Late Great United States and What In The World Is Going On are particularly recommended for their date of publication, content, and being an “easy read.”
www.joelrosenberg.com (Flashtraffic)
www.debka-net-weekly.com (Israeli intelligence)
www.israelnewsnow.com (Israeli news)
www.prophecyhotline.com (Prophetic news)
THE LATE GREAT UNITED STATES (*)
Mark Hitchock
2009, Multnomah Publishers
WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOING ON (*)
David Jeremiah
2008, Thomas Nelson Inc.
IRAN THE COMING CRISIS
Mark Hitchock
2006, Multnomah Publishers
EPICENTER
Joel C. Rosenberg
2006, Tyndale Books
ARMAGEDDON, OIL, AND TERROR
John F. Walvoord
2007, Tyndale Publishers
JERUSALEM COUNTDOWN
John Hagee
2007, Front Line Communications
FINANCIAL ARMAGEDDON
John Hagee
2008, Front Line Communications
GLOBAL WARNING
Tim LaHaye and Ed Hinson
2007, Harvest House Publishers
SHOWDOWN WITH NUCLEAR IRAN
Michael D. Evans
2006, Nelson Communications
THE SECOND COMING
John MacArthur
2003, Crossway Books
MIDDLE EAST MELTDOWN
John Ankerberg and Dillon Burroughs
2007, Harvest House Publishers
THE NEXT WORLD WAR
Grant R. Jeffrey
2007, Waterbrook Press
THE FIGHT FOR JERUSALEM
Dore Gold
2007, Regnery Publishing, Inc.
CHARTING THE END TIMES
Tim LaHaye and Thomas Ice
2001, Harvest House Publishers

Ezekiel 38 & 39 Part 1

Tuesday Mar 17, 2009 by John Mittendorf

AIRED ON theDOVE MARCH 19, 2009
Perry Atkinson and John Mittendorf

INTRODUCTION
In the wake of recent developments such as the collapsing United States economy, the expanding national debt, the resurgence of Russia, the capability of rogue countries possessing nuclear weapons, the largest transfer of wealth in human history to buy oil, increasing frequency of international terrorism, the rise of radical Islamic extremism, and other similar global concerns, many people (Christians and non-Christians alike) are asking where is this world going, and are we in the “end times?” Additionally, consider the following current headlines of world events:
o    The U.S. fears that Mexico is losing control of its territory and borders due to drug violence (Mail Triune, February 27, 2009).
o    Estimated 1.75 trillion dollar federal deficit for this year (USA Toda, February 27, 2009).
o    Estimated 3.6 trillion proposed budget for next year (USA Today, February 27, 2009).
o    General Motors at risk of collapse and considers filing for bankruptcy (USA Today, February 27, 2009).
o    How The Crash Will Reshape America (The Atlantic, March 2009).
o    The Sleeping Giant Awakens (The Oregonian, February 26, 2009). This article refers to China.
o    The percentage of Christians in the United States has declined, and more people say they have no religion at all (The Associated Press, March 9, 2009).
o    World Bank warns of global recession (The Washington Post, March 9, 2009).
In addition to the aforementioned world events is the continued violence and turmoil in the mid-east with the alignment of Islamic nations that was prophesied in Ezekiel 38 and 39. People that are familiar with the specific prophetic section of Ezekiel are well aware that specific countries will form an alliance and aggressively march on Israel to take the land and kill its Jewish inhabitants. With the recent alliance of Russia with Iran (and other Islamic countries), the spreading aggressive hate of Islamic countries, the vociferous threats of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad against the United States and Israel, and the potential of Iran, Syria, Russia, and Pakistan giving nuclear technology to rogue nations and/or terrorist groups, it appears the prophetic events as delineated in Ezekiel are rapidly becoming a reality in the near future.

Within the events that are delineated in Ezekiel is the glaring fact that the United States is not specifically mentioned in the list of nations that will form an alliance and invade Israel or even try to repel the invasion. This has focused attention on the relevant question of “is the United States mentioned in Bible prophecy?” This is a monumental question from the perspective of how could the most powerful nation in the history of the world not be mentioned in prophetic events, particularly current global events that appear to be capable of being fulfilled in our lifetime? In fact, most biblical scholars agree that no new events are necessary prior to the invasion of Israel and/or the rapture! As an example, check the following prophecies that have been fulfilled:
o    Israel has to be scattered and regathered as a nation – (done).
o    There has to be a strong-hostile nation to the North of Israel that could possibly invade Israel – (done).
o    Israel has to be isolated from other nations of the world (this has not quite happened as the United States still supports Israel – (almost done).
o    Israel has to be dwelling with security and confidence – (done).
o    There needs to be a system to track/or identify each person who supports the Anti-Christ – (done). On May 10, 2002, Jeffrey and Leslie Jacobs along with their son Derek in Boca Raton, Florida, had a “Verichip” made by Digital Solutions, installed under their skin. This chip carries all of their personal records and/or any records of interest.

So, before we look at the events as described by Ezekiel over 2,500 years ago, let’s begin by considering the question of the United States in Bible prophecy in Part 1, and then we will consider Iran, Russia, and Islam in Part 2. Once we understand how these major players fit into the current scheme of global power and events, we will begin to fit the prophetic puzzle together and look at Ezekiel 38 and 39 in Part 3 and any additional items that are necessary.
IS THE UNITED STATES MENTIONED IN BIBLE PROPHECY?
Although the answer to this question is relatively straightforward, it needs some explanation as the answer to the question is - - not specifically but possibly indirectly. So, if that sounds confusing or similar to a typical political answer, let’s look at little closer at this “dual” answer by considering both alternatives:
NOT SPECIFICALLY
In Ezekiel 38:8, specific nations are listed that will form an alliance that will be led by the leader of Russia and march on Israel to take the land and kill it’s Jewish inhabitants. These nations are (depending on which translation is used):
o    Gog (this name is the exception to the listed nations and represents a leader, likely of Russia)
o    Magog (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and possibly Afghanistan)
o    Rosh (Russia)
o    Mesech and Tubal (portions of Turkey)
o    Persia (Iran)
o    Cush (Ethopia)
o    Put (Sudan, Libya and possibly Algeria and Tunisia)
o    Gomer (Turkey and/or modern-day Germany)
o    Beth-Togarmah (Turkey and Armenia)

Nearly all of the aforementioned nations are either Islamic or pro-Islamic. When this formidable alliance of nations comes against Israel, there will be no possible escape for Israel. This war is known as the war of Gog and Magog and will be covered in detail in forth coming sessions on the DOVE. Within this list of nations are three locations by the name of “Sheba, Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish with all its young warriors” (Ez. 38:13). Although there is considerable debate between biblical scholars, a noteworthy number of these scholars believe the following:
o    Sheba and Dedan were ancient names for the lands that are now known as Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, and the Gulf states.
o    The best translation of “the merchants of Tarshish” seems to be a colony of Phoenicians located in modern Spain. However, notice that Ezekiel also refers to “the merchants of Tarshish and all her young warriors” (NET). The better
translation is probably “Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof” (NKJV).
Scripture associates Tarshish with the West, and England is another location
known as Tarshish.  Therefore, the “young lions” of Tarshish could be a
reference to the colonies that emerged from Europe, including the United
States. However, if Tarshish was in England, then the “young lions thereof”
could be a reference to the United States, Australia, New Zealand, and
Canada. Interestingly, the symbol on the English flag is a lion.
POSSIBLY INDIRECTLY
Is the United States indirectly mentioned in the Bible as being present or participating in Bible prophecy? The answer is yes if the United States is still present (and likely in another form) when the final battle of all the nations (or the nations which are in the four corners of the earth) takes place at the end of the Millennium and are defeated by Christ as outlined in Revelation 20:7-8. This final battle is known as the Gog and Magog battle which has the same name as the Gog and Magog battle in Ezekiel 38, but is a different battle. This indicates that all of the nations that are present at that time will be gathered to battle and be defeated. Obviously, the United States (if still a nation) will be in a different form as compared to today.

HOW COULD THE MOST POWERFUL NATION IN THE HISTORY OF THIS WORLD NOT BE MENTIONED IN BIBLE PROPHECY?
Only God knows the answer to this question, however, let’s examine the current and potential future status of the United States. Without a doubt, the United States is the most powerful nation on earth, the only superpower, and the most powerful nation in the history of the earth. Therefore, it seems inconceivable that the United States would not be mentioned in Bible prophecy. However, there is more to the strength (or weakness) of a nation than military might as the late Roman Empire graphically demonstrated. In conspicuous opposition to the military capability of the United States, there currently are seven major areas of weakness that individually or collectively have the ability to either eliminate, weaken, or reduce the United States to a position of a “non-player” in global affairs and are summarized as follows:
(1) America Will Remain Strong, But Unmentioned
Most modern nations are not directly mentioned in the Bible, and America
could be one of them. From a practical perspective, just because America is a
superpower does not mean that America needs to be mentioned in Bible
prophecy. Remember that America is about 250 years old and nations that are
much older are not mentioned in the Bible. Although America is the strongest
supporter of Israel, it seems reasonable that the Bible would mention America
if there was still strong support for Israel during the “end times.” However,
America is not specifically mentioned in Bible prophecy. This option does not
have strong support from biblical scholars.
(2) America Will Elect An Isolationist President
It is possible that Americans will grow tired of fighting foreign wars and/or
being the world’s policeman and the national policy could change to an
isolationist or appeasement mentality. This could also mean that the United
States would not protect Israel or any other country. This option is possible as
a result of the Iraq war.
(3) America Will Be Weakened From Attack By Outside Forces
The possibility of a terrorist attack from within America’s borders,
particularly after 9/11 is more than a possibility. An internal attack could
consist of “dirty bombs,” nuclear devices, nerve gas, electro magnetic pulse
(EMP), or any number of lesser but formidable considerations. With the
current capability of rogue nations and terrorist groups in concert with
America’s “open borders,” this option is a realistic option. Terrorism experts
place the possibility of a nuclear attack on the United States in less than ten
years as “more likely than not.” An additional item that should cause deep
concern is that in the late 1980’s, Abdul Qadeer Khan, the renegade Pakistani
nuclear engineer, sold uranium enrichment technology to Libya, North
Korea, and Iran.
Note: Recent news headlines verify Iran has conducted the first test of its nuclear
power plant at Bushehr on February 25, 2009 (World magazine, March 14, 2009), on
March 8, 2009, National Public Radio announced that Iran had test fired a long-
range missile, on February 23, 2009, Debka-Net-Weekly reported that Turkey has
joined the mid- east nuclear arms race to keep pace with Iran, and  Iran sets up bases
in Eritrea and seizes positions for blocking sea routes and toppling pro-western rulers.
The increasing military capabilities by Iran and other mid-eastern
countries should cause deep concern as Ahmadinejad has often stated that he
”will bring the Great Satan (U.S.) and the Little Satan (Israel) to their knees.”
This option does have credibility from biblical scholars.
(4) An Oil Crisis Begins An Economic Crash
Today, the United States is in a very precarious position as OPEC controls the
supply of oil that America is so dependent upon. In 1979 the United States
imported 25% of its oil. Today, that has risen to 70% and continues to steadily
rise. If OPEC were to decide to slow or stop oil imports to America, the
economy would crash and it would be difficult if not impossible to remain a
military superpower for very long as the military and civilian day to day
operations run on oil (remember the oil embargo of 1979?). Of particular
interest, is the fact that in 2006, terrorists attempted to attack the
heart of the Saudi Arabian oil and gas industry, the Abqaiq processing facility.
Al-Qaeda claimed responsibility for the failed attack (this news story only
appeared for one day in the news media). Additionally, the nations that
comprise OPEC hate America and Israel. Without a doubt, oil is America’s
Achilles Heel! This option is more than a possible reality.
(5) America Will Lose Influence From Internal Decay
This view has become extremely popular as a result of the amount of moral
decay that is aggressively “showcased” in America. Just a few of the current
examples are the content of newspapers, television (64% of TV programs
highlight sex), video games, the internet which is filled with pornographic
material, sexual promiscuity, homosexuality, alternative living styles,
abortion, and so on. Similar to the Roman Empire, there is more to the
strength of a nation than military capability. This option also has support
from biblical scholars.
(6) America Will Be Weakened From The Rapture
Depending on the timing of the Rapture (1 Thessalonians 4-5), the true
believers in Christ will depart this earth “in the twinkling of an eye.” This
means that America will instantly lose between 25 to 65 million people. Also,
the people involved in this loss are considered by the Bible as the “salt and
light” of the earth. This number is equivalent to about double the entire
population of Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, and Houston - - all in an
instant! The affects of this catastrophic event (from the World’s viewpoint)
would instantly change the America that you now know. This option is
supported by numerous biblical scholars, and if so, the United States
would then probably unite with the European Union (EU)  to become the
dominant world government. This option is a reality as the Bible predicts the
Rapture but does not indicate when it will specifically happen.
(7) The Dollar Will Be Significantly Weakened
The subprime lending crisis, major bank failures, the possible failure of major
corporations, the addiction to oil, and China owning 1.5 trillion dollars of
American money as a result of the trade imbalance all add up to foreign
nations controlling America’s financial destiny. Since the recent election,
Americans have lost 3 trillion dollars in wealth as reported by the Investors
Business Daily, the markets have plummeted about 30%, the Dow Jones
Industrial Average has dropped from 9,625.28 on November 4, 2008 to
6,647.49 on March 4, 2009, and since the market’s high in October 2007, the
Dow Jones Industrial average is down about 50%.  Therefore, America’s
wealth has been reduced by about 50%. Additionally, if China decided to
replace the American dollar with the Euro, the dollar would collapse.
Interestingly, Iran only honors the Euro as payment for its oil exports. The
pertinent question is how much will the dollar continue to erode within the
world financial market.

CONCLUSION
From the preceding seven factors that overviewed possible areas of decline for the United States, it is easy to visualize in the not too distant future a United States that is significantly different than the United States of just a few years ago as we are potentially more vulnerable in 2009 than ever in the history of the United States! Therefore, it is not surprising that the United States is not specifically mentioned in Bible prophecy.

However, the real question is “what is your future in life?” If the Bible is true (and the evidence from science and Scripture indicate that it is), then each person should be concerned with their future destiny and specifically, where you will spend eternity. The Bible clearly says “All have sinned and come short of the Glory of God” (Romans 3:23), and those without a personal acceptance of God will spend eternity in a lake of fire (Revelation 20:15). However, God has provided an alternate choice, and that choice is a free gift that only needs to be accepted by you “For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16), and “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the LORD shall be saved” (Romans 10:13). This is God’s message to you, so have you accepted his free gift of eternal life?

Part 2 of this series will continue on The DOVE, March 26, 2009, at 8:30 am, and consider Russia, Iran, and Islam.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
The following sources offer an expanded view of this subject and can be purchased at the Evangel book store in the Medford Mall. Four sites are also listed and can be accessed on the internet. The Late Great United States and What In The World Is Going On are particularly recommended for their date of publication, content, and being an “easy read.”
www.joelrosenberg.com (Flashtraffic)
www.debka-net-weekly.com (Israeli intelligence)
www.israelnewsnow.com (Israeli news)
www.prophecyhotline.com (Prophetic news)
THE LATE GREAT UNITED STATES (*)
Mark Hitchock
2009, Multnomah Publishers
WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOING ON (*)
David Jeremiah
2008, Thomas Nelson Inc.
IRAN THE COMING CRISIS
Mark Hitchock
2006, Multnomah Publishers
EPICENTER
Joel C. Rosenberg
2006, Tyndale Books
ARMAGEDDON, OIL, AND TERROR
John F. Walvoord
2007, Tyndale Publishers
JERUSALEM COUNTDOWN
John Hagee
2007, Front Line Communications
FINANCIAL ARMAGEDDON
John Hagee
2008, Front Line Communications
GLOBAL WARNING
Tim LaHaye and Ed Hinson
2007, Harvest House Publishers
SHOWDOWN WITH NUCLEAR IRAN
Michael D. Evans
2006, Nelson Communications
THE SECOND COMING
John MacArthur
2003, Crossway Books
MIDDLE EAST MELTDOWN
John Ankerberg and Dillon Burroughs
2007, Harvest House Publishers
THE NEXT WORLD WAR
Grant R. Jeffrey
2007, Waterbrook Press
THE FIGHT FOR JERUSALEM
Dore Gold
2007, Regnery Publishing, Inc.
CHARTING THE END TIMES
Tim LaHaye and Thomas Ice
2001, Harvest House Publishers

NOAHS ARK AND THE FLOOD ~ Part 5

Thursday Jan 22, 2009 by John Mittendorf

AIRED ON theDove JANUARY 22, 2009
John Mittendorf and Steve Johnson

INTRODUCTION
In August, we started a series on the Ark and the Flood and overviewed the beginning of the flood narrative as found in Genesis 6:1-13. During the following months, different aspects of the flood including Noah’s Ark were examined from the biblical and scientific perspective. In November and December, the Dove hosted the renowned Geologist Dr. Andrew Snelling who also is an expert in creation geology as applied to the flood narrative as found in Genesis. The November and December broadcasts focused on “where did the flood waters come from and where did they go,” the “six visible evidences for the flood” and “how the Grand Canyon was formed.” Notes from these programs can be found on the DOVE website at www.thedove.us

This program will end the flood series by examining three controversial perspectives - - the ice age, woolly mammoths, and global warming. However, before we start, we need to mention several recent news items.

EVOLUTION SUNDAY
o    Dr. Andrew Snelling will return to the Dove on February 26th, from 8-9 am and will be “live.” He will answer any questions from the DOVE audience and briefly overview dating methods and their fallacies.
o    This year (2009) will usher in a new celebration, particularly for evolutionists - - the 200 year anniversary of Charles Darwin, and the 150 year anniversary of his book “The Origin Of Species.” What makes these two anniversaries
noteworthy is that more than 12,000 churches have signed up to celebrate
evolution and actually hold “Evolution Sunday.”
o    With all of the recent news on Monday and Tuesday regarding the inauguration of our new president, two items went largely unnoticed and slipped under the news radar. The first item is the Monday posting on the Jerusalem Post website regarding the “enormous and historic” discovery of natural gas off Haifa in Israel, and has been called “one of the biggest in the world.” The second item is Russia is currently engaged in building alliances with Iran, Libya, Syria, and Lebanon. Three reasons why these two news items are noteworthy is - - (1) Ezekiel 38-39 tells us that Russia, Iran, Libya, and Turkey will all form a common alliance before attacking Israel from the North, (2) to come from the North (biblical geographical guidelines all emanate from Jerusalem), they need to come through Syria and Lebanon, and (3) Ezekiel 38-39 also tells us that Israel must be prosperous before Russia and her coalition marches on Israel (the war of Gog and Magog). In summary, tighten your seatbelt!

THE ICE AGE
In general terms, an “ice age” is a time of extensive glacial activity that covers a relatively large area with ice. During the ice age, approximately 30% of the land surface of the earth was covered by ice. Today, only about 10% of the earth’s land surface is covered with ice. Evidence suggests that the original created world was warmer than the present world as the earth probably did not have permanent ice until centuries after the flood. As an example, the entire Middle East, Israel, Egypt, and the Sahara in North Africa show evidence they were once well-watered, green, and fertile. What caused a drastic change in the earth’s climate and a resultant ice-age or numerous ice-ages? Stated another way - - what conditions are necessary to cause an ice age? This question can best be answered from two diametrically opposed viewpoints as follows:
Conventional Science
This viewpoint has progressed from a single ice age to upwards of 30 ice ages to the current philosophy of about 5 ice ages. This philosophy is similar to the theory of evolution in that it does not accept a biblical perspective, is based on large amounts of time (it is postulated there have been repeating ice ages for about 2.5 million years, with the last ice age occurring about 100,000 years ago and earlier ones lasting about 40,000 years), and is founded on a lack of evidence for the causes of an ice age. Several examples of a lack of evidences are, the August 18-25, 1997, issue of U.S. News & World Report had a series of articles on 18 great mysteries of science. One of the mysteries is “what causes ice ages.” The Popular Science magazine Earth stated that “if they hadn’t actually happened, the ice ages would sound like science fiction,” and David Alt, Glacial Lake Missoula and its humongous floods, (2001), p 180: “although theories abound, no one really knows what causes ice ages.”

From a conventional scientific perspective, the number of ice ages is unknown as well as the conditions necessary to create an ice age. Additionally, naturalists have used dates from ice cores as solid evidence against Noah’s flood and to support an age of the earth older than 6,000 to 7,000 years (Dr. Snelling will comment on ice core dating next month).
Biblical Creation Science
The question of how an ice age happens and the number of ice ages that have occurred in the history of the earth is more easily explained form a biblical perspective and is provided by the flood account in Genesis. First, let’s consider what conditions must be present to cause an ice age and then we will look at the number of ice ages that have occurred.

Two conditions are necessary for an ice age to happen and are (1) cooler summers and land masses, and (2) heavy snow. From the history of the flood account from Genesis by Dr. Snelling, remember that the “fountains of the great deep” would have caused a catastrophic upheaval of the oceans and tremendous volcanic activity. This would have produced a shroud of volcanic dust and aerosols in the atmosphere that would have been trapped for several years after the flood. These particles would have reflected some sunlight back into space and caused cooler summers and land masses (ice cores from Greenland and Antarctica show abundant volcanic particles and acids in the sections associated with the ice age).

Additionally, the catastrophic breakup would have resulted in the bursting of the fountains of the great deep into the atmosphere and movements of the earth’s crust and volcanoes would have increased the temperature of the oceans (computer modeling has indicated up to 36-degrees F). As a result, the warm oceans would have a much greater level of evaporation than the oceans of today and a large amount of snow would quickly fall in the middle latitudes and polar regions (referred to as “snowblitz”). Under these conditions there would be no sea ice as a result of warmer oceans and rapid flood currents. It has been calculated that under these conditions, the average depth of ice over much of the Northern Hemisphere was about 2,300 feet, it took about 500 years to accumulate that depth, and would have taken about 200 years to melt as atmospheric conditions changed. Obviously, Greenland and Antarctica would have continued to grow due to their altitude and latitude.

So, to answer the previous questions of the conditions necessary to cause an ice age and how many were there, the biblical and better scientific answer is an ice age is caused by cooler land and summers, a significant amount of water in the atmosphere from increased evaporation of warmer oceans (resulting in much snow), and as the flood provided the perfect conditions for an ice age, there has only been one ice age! As a side note, there will never be another ice age as God has promised there will never be another flood (rainbow, Genesis 9:11-17).

WOOLLY MAMMOTHS
When the subject of an ice age is debated, a subject that is normally considered is how millions of woolly mammoths were frozen in permafrost in Siberia with buttercups in their mouths and digestive tracts. This question gained popularity when the Birds-Eye Frozen Food Company did some research and concluded that it would take a sudden atmospheric change to drop the ambient temperature to a minus 150-degrees F! To add to the questions, numerous woolly mammoths have been found in standing positions, some suffocated, and some carcasses have broken bones.

First, what is a Woolly Mammoth? It is nothing more than a hairy elephant with hump on its back and large (very large) tusks. A popular opinion regarding the “quick freeze” of these mammals is based on the collapsing vapor canopy model that postulates that as the vapor canopy collapsed at the beginning of the flood the atmospheric temperature would have suddenly and significantly dropped. However, this theory is on shaky ground as the presence of a vapor canopy cannot be confirmed, and the catastrophic breakup of the fountains of the deep would have been exceedingly destructive.

A recent book, Frozen In Time by meteorologist Michael Oard details a very compelling case for another answer to the Woolly Mammoth questions. In his book, Mr. Oard details the significance of mammoth carcasses that perished while standing upright, death by suffocation , and broken bones. This indicates the mammoths were rapidly and completely covered, but does not explain how they are found in the permafrost layer (which would take too much time to sink into a soft or boggy ground and then freeze). Interestingly, the fact that these animals were grazers leads to the conclusion that Siberia was a huge grassland during the ice age! An interesting fact is that Siberian mammoths disappeared in Siberia and also everywhere at about the same time as well as other animals near the end of the ice age (about 4,000 years ago). This is interesting from the perspective that conventional science believes that the mammoths survived all of the supposed previous ice ages, yet suddenly went extinct at the end of the last ice age when climate changes were supposed to be improving.

As the ice age and volcanism subsided and the climate became quite warmer, the difference in temperature would also result in drier conditions and would also cause strong, windy, dry storms. This would result in huge dust storms, especially just south of the ice sheets (resulting from the large temperature differences between polar latitudes and the subtropics).

So, were Siberian mammoths quickly frozen as conventional science postulates. Much evidence as delineated in the aforementioned book suggests that the rare intact carcasses are the result of unique circumstances. Although many of the Siberian mammals likely died from the cold, wind, trapped in bogs, and drought that came from the deglaciation period (melting of the ice sheets), Mr. Oard makes a strong case that the vast majority of the animals that are found were the victims of “wind-blown silt.” These animals were found in “muck” which is a combination of wind-blown silt mixed with a little clay and fine sand. An extraordinary amount of blowing silt would be deposited from the combination of strong winds, dry climate, glacial silt, and probably the exposed continental shelves. This can explain the carcass puzzles as follows:
o    Some carcasses are found in a standing position
o    Some were suffocated
o    Millions of animals became entombed in rock hard permafrost
o    Some animals have broken bones

The dust storms varied in intensity throughout the deglaciation period, and the animals would have been buried fairly quickly.

GLOBAL WARMING
As most people are aware, the film “An Inconvenient Truth” by former vice-president Al Gore presented global warming as an imminent threat to the planet and painted an alarming picture of a future in which mankind ultimately destroys life on earth. New claims and counter-claims are presented on a daily basis (Global warming is now more consistently referred to as “climate change”).

As an example, in December 26, 2008, the Mail Tribune ran an article titled “Faster Climate Change Feared,” and stated that as a result of the ice sheets melting, the sea level could rise as much as four-feet by the year 2100, and went on to list other calamitous consequences. On the other hand, the December 27, 2008, issue of World magazine ran an article titled “Playing It Cool” and listed the following observations:
o    Global warming has stopped
o    A 231-page report by 650 prominent international scientists that documents skepticism of climate change
o    Three quotes by renowned scientists as follows:
- “Global warming has become a new religion, I am a skeptic” Nobel Prize
winning physicist Ivar Gaiever
- “People will feel deceived  by science and scientists when they learn the
truth,” Japanese scientist Kiminori Itoh, a former IPCC member
- “It is a blatant lie put forth in the media that makes it seem there is only a
fringe of scientists who don’t buy into anthropogenic global warming,”
Stanley B. Goldenberg, U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association

This diversity in claims leaves many persons (particularly Christians) uncertain about the real facts surrounding global warming. With these facts in mind, let’s look a little further at Global Warming’s top five claims:
Claim #1: Global warming is really happening
For over a century, the National Climatic Data Center has been monitoring temperatures from thousands of sites worldwide. The average global surface temperature has risen about 1.2F since 1880. So, from a narrow perspective, global warming is happening. However, this does not tell us the causes of the temperature rise.
Claim #2: We are causing global warming
To examine this claim, let’s separate natural and human cause. First, since the ice age, the earth’s temperature has fluctuated by only a few degrees and seems to be a result of natural changes such as volcanic eruptions and cycles in the sun’s radiation (when the earth receives more energy from the sun, the earth gets warmer). So a variance of a few degrees is not only natural, it is nothing new.

Secondly, alarmists would have you believe that increased carbon dioxide emissions have triggered global warming. To understand this claim, it is important to understand greenhouse gases. These are gases in the earth’s atmosphere that regulate temperature by holding in heat from the sun and are also vital for life. The primary greenhouse gas is water vapor. Carbon dioxide is the second most common greenhouse gas and provides only a diminutive fraction of the greenhouse effect. Although the burning of fossil fuels is adding more carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, it does not mean that this is the primary cause of warming. Interestingly, higher concentrations of carbon dioxide may in part be a result of warmer temperatures. Because the oceans have much more carbon dioxide than the atmosphere, more carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere when the oceans get warmer. Looking at the current evidence, it seems likely that both natural and human factors are contributing to a change in greenhouse gases but we cannot be completely sure without doing much more research.
Claim #3: Global warming will cause many animals and plants to go extinct
One of the most popular examples of animals that may be extinct and/or are struggling to maintain existence are polar bears. In reality, polar bears are flourishing. Melting glaciers and other similar changes can affect a variety of animal and plant species but the fossil record indicates that many plant and animal species went extinct after the global flood (i.e., woolly mammoths). Obviously, humans had no impact on these extinctions. Currently there are no documented extinctions resulting from global warming.
Claim #4: The oceans will rise dramatically
An Inconvenient Truth presents a model in which an ice sheet slides into the sea, raises the sea level by 20-feet, submerges much of the earth’s coastline, and implies that this will happen in the next 50 years. Currently, there is no hard scientific evidence that gives this scenario credibility. According to climate models by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (which is an avid supporter of global warming), it is estimated that the ocean levels will rise about 16-inches during this century. Although this prediction could result in many inconveniences (without proper planning), it is not the widely predicted “doomsday” by global warming extremists.
Claim #5: Global warming will cause an increasing number of weather catastrophes
Although global warming has been blamed for increased tornadoes, floods, hurricanes, droughts, and extreme temperature fluctuations, there are two perspectives to keep in mind - - (1) extreme weather has never been out of the ordinary since Noah’s flood, and (2) scientists of yesteryear did not have access to satellites and other similar modern equipment that can record weather events. This means that weather events in the past would have gone unrecorded making it difficult to validate whether fluctuations have either increased or decreased. Interestingly, a recent study in the journal Nature Geo Science concludes that global warming is not to blame for increased hurricanes and hurricanes are likely to decrease by the end of the century.

Currently, there is insufficient evidence to identify global warming as the cause of current or future extreme weather events.

SOURCES
o    Frozen In Time, Master Books, Michael Oard, M.S., National Weather Service
o    The Frozen Record, ICR, Michael Oard, M.S., National Weather Service
o    The Ice Age, AIG, Michael Oard, M.S., National Weather Service (DVD)
o    Global Warming, A scientific and biblical expose of climate change, AIG and Coral Ridge Ministries (DVD and book)
o    Answers, Volume 3, No. 4, October – December 2008 (available from www.AnswersMagazine.com)

Noah’s Ark and the Flood Part 4

Tuesday Dec 16, 2008 by John Mittendorf

AIRED ON KDOV December 18, 2008
John Mittendorf, Perry Atkinson, and Dr. Andrew Snelling

INTRODUCTION
In August, we started a series on the “Ark” and the “Flood” and overviewed the beginning of the flood narrative as found in Genesis 6:1-13. During the following months, different aspects of the flood including Noah’s Ark were examined from the biblical and scientific perspective (the notes from September and October can be obtained from the Dove website www.thedove.us). In November, the Dove hosted the renowned Geologist Dr. Andrew Snelling who also is an expert in creation geology as applied to the flood narrative as found in Genesis. The November broadcast focused on “where did the flood waters come from and where did they go?”  The first December interview with Dr. Snelling focused on “three visible evidences for the flood” and the second interview in December focused on “three additional visible evidences for the flood and how the Grand Canyon was formed.” The following notes will overview the three programs and interviews with Dr. Snelling.
Note: All following biblical quotes are taken from the New English Translation (NET Bible) unless otherwise noted.

SCIENCE AND THE FLOOD
WHERE DID THE FLOOD WATER COME FROM
- - AND WHERE DID IT GO?
To fully understand the scope of this question, we need to go back to the first chapter of Genesis and closely look at the creation account. First, in Genesis 1:2, it states “Now the earth was without shape and empty, and darkness was over the surface of the watery deep, but the spirit of God was moving over the surface of the water.” This verse states that the earth was originally an unbounded mass of water and the watery deep means abyss like deep which surrounds and underlies the earth. Second, Genesis 1:6-7 states “God said, let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters and let it separate water from water. So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. It was so. God called the expanse sky.” This verse states that an expanse (can be known as sky) was inserted between the watery earth and water that is above the sky. However, the narrative does not say how far above the sky the water was placed. This has led to two theories that are known as the “Vapor Canopy” theory and a recent theory that postulates that the water was moved out into space (interstellar space) about 20 million light years away from the earth. As the Vapor Canopy theory is the more popular version, we will focus on a canopy of water above the earth that would be just above our known sky and probably be visible from the earth by looking into space.

VAPOR CANOPY THEORY
The biblical narrative does not indicate how much water was placed above the sky so this is open for debate. What makes this theory probable were the conditions that were present and/or probably present from the presence of a water canopy prior to the flood (pre-flood earth), and can be summarized as follows:
o    The barometric pressure would have been higher than our present 14.7 psi (probably over 30 psi). This contributes to longer health, better healing, etc
o    A temperate climate would have been virtually perfect for growing vegetation. Conventional science cannot explain the presence of lush growth under the polar ice caps
o    Ultraviolet rays from the sun would have been filtered out prior to reaching life on the earth and would have resulted in a longer life span. The average age of humans prior to the flood was 912 years
o    The following three verses indicate the pre-flood sky was viewed as a molten mirror (Job 37:18, Daniel 12:3, and Ezekiel 1:22). Suspended ice crystals would have appeared as a “molten mirror”

SOURCE OF FLOOD WATER
With the vapor canopy theory as a starting point for this discussion, let’s shift gears and look at the following key phrases in Genesis 7:6-16:
o    “All the fountains of the great deep burst open.” In the Hebrew, this phrase indicates that subterranean waters were bursting upward. The significance of this narrative is the power and destructive force of the great deep breaking open and allowing the upward travel of water to contribute to the rise of water on the earth. As a point of interest, Webster’s Dictionary defines burst as “to come apart suddenly and violently, explode”
o    “The floodgates of the heavens were opened.” Remember that prior to the flood it did not rain (see Genesis 2:5&6). Therefore, the rain came from a source that had not previously produced rain
o    “The flood engulfed the earth.” The significance seems to be, among other things, that in this judgment God was returning the world to its earlier condition of being enveloped with water - - a judgment involving a reversal of creation
o    “The flood engulfed the earth for forty days.” In the Hebrew, the significance of this narrative is that the waters did not merely rise, they prevailed over the earth, overwhelming it

With the preceding four portions of the flood narrative as a starting point, let’s look at the scientific implications of the source of the flood waters:
o    First, there was water below and above the earth, so the amount of water was more than sufficient for a global flood
o    When the flood catastrophe struck, the earth had been a time bomb waiting to go off
o    Cold, dense material at the seafloor was floating on top of hot, lighter material deeper in the mantle of the earth (remember the earth is comprised of the core, mantle, and a crust)
o    The seafloor suddenly broke open in the middle, while the edges began diving into the mantle below. This fracture likely spread around the entire globe
o    As hot magma rose into these cracks, seawater also flowed into these cracks and flashed instantly into steam which resulted in supersonic jets of steam thundering into the upper atmosphere, carrying seawater with them
o    Clouds of this ejected material spread out across the planet, cooled, and fell as torrents of rain on land and sea
o    Simultaneously, as the cold ocean crust was replaced with hot, expanded magma, the seafloor rose, and with it, the sea level rose worldwide to inundate the then known earth
o    As the land was inundated, the plummeting seafloor would have moved the singular land mass (commonly known as Rodinia from the Russian word “motherland” or Pangaea) and ultimately resulted in multiple land masses (North-South America, Europe, etc). The concept of moving land masses (plate tectonics) is accepted by creationist and conventional scientists alike, and is commonly known as Continental Drift. From a creationist perspective, continental drift would be a result of catastrophic plate tectonics which conventional science does not support
o    Eventually this process subsided once all the cold material from the seafloor sank into the mantle. The torrential rains were shut off after 40 days and the fountains of the deep were halted after 150 days (or 110 days after the rains ceased)
o    During the period of the torrential rains, there would have been significant volcanic activity that would have spewed a significant amount of volcanic ash into the atmosphere and assisting in the collapse of the water canopy (if present)
o    When looking at the validity of the preceding flood perspective, is there any evidence of a cold, dense seafloor material collapsing into the hot mantle? During the past ten years, science has developed the technology to see if cold material existed at the base of the mantle. This technology discovered that indeed, portions of the cold crust had sunk the full 1,800 miles from the crust to the base of the mantle where temperatures are 7,232-degrees F. This suggests that the continents moved rapidly during the flood and that the flood occurred only thousands of years ago as opposed to the old earth perspective that would have resulted in the crust taking millions of years to sink towards the mantle. In this case, the sinking portions of crust would have melted before reaching the mantle
o    Lastly, how could a flood cover high mountains such as Mt. Everest? It is believed that the “high hills and/or mountains” that were present before the flood were not the height of modern mountains, and were probably less than 15,000-feet high. Modern mountains such as Mt. Everest, the Alps, and the Himalayas were formed by catastrophic plate tectonics that indicate that during the flood, the continents were moving at speeds of feet-per-second by the rapidly moving plates. When two continents collided, mountain belts were uplifted as the earth’s crust buckled and warped
o    To summarize the preceding theories, the perspective of catastrophic plate tectonics offers a plausible explanation for the mechanisms responsible for a global flood and the separation of the continents while modern science does not support the concept of a global flood and finds it difficult to explain the mechanisms for continental drift and the evidences of a global flood that are clearly observed (to be covered next month). Additionally, the concept of rain for 40 days (which seems to be the main portion of the flood narrative that most people remember) does not begin to explain the catastrophic damage to the earth during the global flood and the lingering affects that are still present today

WHERE DID THE FLOOD WATER GO
Unlike the question of where did the water for the global flood come from, this question is more simplistic and can be clarified by the verse in Psalms 104:6-9 that states “The watery deep (the same phrase as found in Genesis 1:2) covered it like a garment; the waters reached above the mountains. Your shout made the waters retreat; at the sound of your thunderous voice they hurried off - - as the mountains rose up, and the valleys went down - - to the place appointed you appointed for them. You set up a boundary for them that they could not cross so that they would not cover the earth again.” Although there is some debate about this verse referring to pre-flood, post flood, or both, the general consensus is it refers to the post flood time scale. From the post flood perspective, this verse indicates the mountains were uplifted (evidence of “uplifting” can be seen in the mountains around the world), portions of the earth sank downwards, and the flood waters returned to the oceanic basins (remember the earth is comprised of 70% water and 30% land). Currently, it is believed that there is enough water in the oceans to cover the entire earth to a depth of over 2 miles (11,000 to 12,000-feet).

SIX EVIDENCES FOR THE GLOBAL FLOOD
Why is it that many people, including many Christians, can’t see the geologic evidence for the Genesis Flood? It is usually because they have bought into the evolutionary idea that the “present is the key to the past.”  They are convinced that, because today’s geological processes are so slow, the rock strata and the earth’s rock layers took millions of years to form.
However, if the Genesis Flood really occurred, what evidence would we look for? We read in Genesis 7 and 8 that “the fountains of the great deep” were broken up and poured out water from inside the earth for 150 days (5 months). Plus it rained torrentially and globally for 40 days and nights (the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished,” 2 Peter 3:6). All air-breathing life on the land was swept away and perished.
So, what evidence would we look for? Wouldn’t we expect to find billions of dead plants and animals buried and fossilized in sand, mud, and lime that were deposited rapidly by water in rock layers all over the earth? Of course! That’s exactly what we find. Indeed, based on the description of the flood in Genesis 7-8. There are six main geologic evidences that testify to the Genesis Flood.

EVIDENCE #1: Fossils of sea creatures high above sea level due to the ocean waters having flooded over the mountains
We find fossils of sea creatures in rock layers that cover all the continents. For example, most of the rock layers in the walls of the Grand Canyon (more than a mile above sea level) contain marine fossils. Fossilized shellfish are even found in the Himalayas.

EVIDENCE #2: Rapid burial of plants and animals
We find extensive fossil “graveyards” and exquisitely preserved fossils. For example, billions of nautiloid fossils are found in a layer within the Redwall Limestone of the Grand Canyon. This layer was deposited catastrophically by a massive flow of sediment (mostly lime sand). The chalk and coal beds of Europe and the United States, and the fish, ichthyosaurs, insects, and other fossils all around the world, testify of catastrophic destruction and burial.

EVIDENCE #3: Rapidly deposited sediment layers spread across vast areas
We find rock layers that can be traced all the way across continents - - even between continents - - and physical features in those strata indicate they were deposited rapidly. For example, the Tapeats Sandstone and Redwall Limestone of the Grand Canyon can be traced across the entire United States, and up into Canada, and even across the Atlantic Ocean to England. The chalk beds of England (the white cliffs of Dover) can be traced across Europe into the Middle East and are also found in the Midwest of the United States and in Western Australia. Inclined (sloping) layers within the Coconino Sandstone of the Grand Canyon are testimony to 10,000 cubic miles of sand being deposited by huge water currents within days.

EVIDENCE #4: Sediment transported long distances
We find that the sediments in those widespread, rapidly deposited rock layers had to be eroded from distant sources and carried long distances by fast-moving water. For example, the sand for the Coconino Sandstone of the Grand Canyon (Arizona) had to be eroded and transported from the northern portion of what is now the United States and Canada. Furthermore, water current indicators (such as ripple marks) preserved in rock layers show that for “300 million years” water currents were consistently flowing from northeast to southwest across all of North and South America, which, of course, is only possible over weeks during a global flood.

EVIDENCE #5: Rapid or no erosion between strata
We find evidence of rapid erosion, or even of no erosion, between rock layers. Flat, knife-edge boundaries between rock layers indicate continuous deposition of one layer after another, with no time erosion. For example, there is no evidence of any “missing” millions of years (of erosion) in the flat boundary between two well-known layers of the Grand Canyon - - the Coconino Sandstone and the Hermit Formation. Another impressive example of flat boundaries at the Grand Canyon is the Redwall Limestone and the strata beneath it.

EVIDENCE #6: Many strata laid down in rapid succession
Rocks do not normally bend; they break loose because they are hard and brittle. But in many places we find whole sequences of strata that were bent without fracturing, indicating that all the rock layers were rapidly deposited and folded while still wet and pliable before final hardening. For example, the Tapeats Sandstone in the Grand Canyon is folded at a right angle (90-degrees) without evidence of breaking. Yet this folding could only have occurred after the rest of the layers had been deposited, supposedly over “480 million years,” while the Tapeats Sandstone remained wet and pliable.

Note: Additional information on this subject can be obtained from Answers magazine, October-December 08 issue, Volume 3, Number 4 (www.answersingenesis.com) which gives a simple yet comprehensive overview of pre and post flood conditions.

WHAT CAUSED THE GRAND CANYON?
For years, conventional science has postulated that the Colorado River, much as we see it today, carved out the Grand Canyon over tens of millions of years. However, in recent years, secular earth scientists have increasingly rejected this idea as they now believe that great volumes of water rushing through the area played a much greater part in carving the canyon (commonly referred to as the Kaibab Upwarp). Additionally, it is also recognized that very little erosion by the Colorado River is happening today. Recognized examples of canyons that are quickly formed by great volumes of rushing water are:
o    Burlingame Canyon near Walla Walla, Washington
o    The volcanic eruption of Mt. Saint Helens resulted in canyons quickly carved in solid volcanic rock
o    Snake River area in southern Idaho
o    Today, the Channeled Scablands in eastern Washington are recognized as being formed by the sudden drainage of Lake Missoula

Therefore, the Grand Canyon was formed very rapidly by flood waters retreating off the continents at the end of the flood.

CLOSING FLOOD COMMENTS
GENESIS 8 & 9
o    Noah sent out a raven: A raven will eat most anything
o    Noah sent out a dove: A dove is much more selective in its food choices, which would indicate new life and thus Noah and his family could also survive
o    The waters subsided: When the flood waters subsided, a new climatic beginning for the earth and its inhabitants was started. This consisted of evaporation from the oceans to the atmosphere, the formation of clouds, clouds providing rain over the continents, and the resultant water acting as runoff back to the oceans
o    Be fruitful and multiply: Noah (and the animals that were on the ark) now face a world where longevity of life is greatly reduced and storms, severe weather, blazing heat, freezing cold, seismic action, radiation from the sun, and natural disasters would be common
o    Will be terrified of you: The animals will fear humans from this time on. Evidently, they did not fear humans before the flood
o    I now give you everything: Prior to the flood, mankind were vegetarians. Now, they can also eat meat
o    You must not eat meat with its life in it: Because of the carnage of the flood, people might conclude that life is cheap and therefore treat it lightly. But God will not permit them to kill or eat anything with the lifeblood still in it, serving as a reminder of the sanctity of life

Finally, the flood provided the perfect conditions for a worldwide ice age as “ice age conditions” do not exist today. The post-flood era would have provided the following conditions:
o    The oceans would have been significantly warmer, potentially up to 90-degrees F. This would have significantly increased evaporation and the amplified formation of moisture laden clouds
o    The amplified moisture laden clouds would result in increased snow and ice
o    Prior to the flood, there were moderate temperatures at the poles. Now, the poles experienced sub-zero temperatures as well as cooler land masses
o    With the presence of increased snow and ice from the atmosphere, cooler land masses, glaciers would have quickly formed and resulted in an ice age
Note: Additional information on this subject and frozen Wooly Mammoths can be obtained from the book “Frozen In Time” by meteorologist Michael Oard, Master Books.

WHY 40 DAYS ARE BIBLICALLY SIGNIFICANT
Regularly used to describe a trial, culminating in victory
o    Israel wandering in the desert for 40 years
o    Moses 40 days at Mt. Sinai receiving the law
o    Elijah 40 days on Mt. Horeb
o    Jonah gave Ninevah 40 days to repent
o    Christ spent 40 days in the wilderness being tempted
o    Disciples spent 40 days with the LORD between the resurrection and ascension

WHAT CAN WE APPLY FROM THE FLOOD
Noah was a man of faith: Hebrews 11:7
o    If we have faith in God, we please God (Hebrews 11:6)
Only one door into the ark: Genesis 6:16
o    Only Jesus is the door to salvation (John 10:9, and 14:6)
Noah was safe in the ark: Genesis 7:16.
o    Jesus will keep us safe in eternity (Romans 8:39)
Noah obeyed God: Genesis 6:22
o    Jesus said that if we love him, we will obey his commandments (John 14:15)
God wants to save us: John 3:16
o    For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life

Noah’s Ark and the Flood part 3

Thursday Oct 16, 2008 by John Mittendorf

INTRODUCTION

In August, we started a series on the “Ark” and the “Flood” and overviewed the beginning of the flood narrative as found in Genesis 6:1-13. In September, we overviewed Genesis 6:14-22. Let’s continue with the seventh chapter of Genesis, verses 1-16, and consider what the Bible has to say about the flood, and specifically how it engulfed the earth. Note: All following biblical quotes are taken from the New English Translation (NET Bible) unless otherwise noted.

SCIENCE AND THE FLOOD

GENESIS 7:1-5
The LORD said to Noah, “Come into the ark, you and your household, for I consider you godly among this generation. You must take with you seven of every kind of clean animal, the male and its mate, two of every kind of unclean animal, the male and its mate, and also seven of every kind of bird in the sky, male and female, to preserve their offspring on the face of the earth. For in seven days I will cause it to rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the ground every living thing that I have made.” And Noah did all that the LORD commanded him.

o    Seven each: Seven pairs. Extra five pairs would be used for sacrifice
o    Two of every kind of unclean animal: Male and female to continue the species
o    For in seven days: It took seven days to load the animals on the ark before it started to rain. This also gave mankind an additional seven days to repent
o    I will cause it to rain: No rain had fallen before this time
o    Noah did all that the LORD commanded him: No hesitation, Noah obeyed God

GENESIS 7: 6-16
Noah was six hundred years old when the flood waters engulfed the earth. Noah entered the ark along with his son’s, his wife, and his son’s wives because of the floodwaters. Pairs of clean animals, of unclean animals, of birds, and of everything that creeps along the ground, male and female, came into the ark to Noah, just as God had commanded Noah. And after seven days the floodwaters engulfed the earth. In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month – on that day all the fountains of the great
deep burst open and the floodgates of the heavens were opened. And the rain fell on the earth forty days and forty nights. On that very day Noah entered the ark, accompanied by his son’s Shem, Ham, and Japheth, along with his wife and his son’s three wives. They entered, along with every living creature after its kind, every animal after its kind, every creeping thing that creeps on the earth after its kind, and every bird after its kind, everything with wings. Pairs of all creatures that have the breath of life came into the ark to Noah. Those that entered were male and female, just as God commanded him. Then the LORD God shut him in.

o    Six hundred years old: The average age prior to the flood was 912 years old (omitting Enoch)
o    Came into the ark to Noah: God directed the animals to Noah
o    All the fountains of the great deep burst open: Subterranean waters bursting upward. The significance is that in this judgment, God was returning the world to its earlier condition of being enveloped with water
o    Floodgates of the heavens were opened: The water canopy may have been used for rain
o    Forty days and forty nights: Forty 24  hour days. The significance of the number 40 in the Bible is significant as it is regularly used to describe a trial culminating in victory. Examples are Israel wandering in the desert for 40 years, Moses 40 days on Mt. Sinai receiving the law, Elijah 40 days on Mt. Horeb, Jonah gave Ninevah 40 days to repent, Christ spent 40 days in the wilderness being tempted, and the disciples spent 40 days with the LORD between the resurrection and ascension
o    Then the LORD shut him in: The LORD closed and sealed the door. The single door in the ark (Genesis 6:16) is a reminder that only Jesus is the door to salvation (John 10:9 and John 14:6)

GENESIS 7:17-24
The flood engulfed the earth for forty days. As the waters increased, they lifted the ark and raised it above the earth. The waters completely overwhelmed the earth, and the ark floated on the surface of the waters. The waters completely inundated the earth so that even all the high mountains under the entire sky were covered. The waters rose more than twenty feet above the mountains. And all living things that moved on the earth died, including the birds, domestic animals, wild animals, all the creatures that swarm over the earth, and all mankind. Everything on dry land that had the breath of life in its nostrils died. So the LORD destroyed every living thing that was on the surface of the ground, including people, animals, creatures that creep along the ground, and birds of the sky. They were wiped off the earth. Only Noah and those who were with him in
the ark survived. The waters prevailed over the earth for one hundred and fifty days.

o    Overwhelmed the earth: The waters did not merely rise, they overwhelmed
o    Completely inundated the earth: Repetition emphasizes the depth of the waters
o    More than twenty feet: Hebrew says fifteen cubits, or about 22.5 feet
o    Birds of the sky: Notice that marine animals are not mentioned
o    The waters prevailed: The waters were stronger than the earth

WHERE DID THE FLOOD WATER COME FROM
- - AND WHERE DID IT GO?

To fully understand the scope of this question, we need to go back to the first chapter of Genesis and closely look at the creation account. First, in Genesis 1:2, it states “Now the earth was without shape and empty, and darkness was over the surface of the watery deep, but the spirit of God was moving over the surface of the water.” This verse states that the earth was originally an unbounded mass of water and the watery deep means abyss like deep which surrounds and underlies the earth. Second, Genesis 1:6-7 states “God said, let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters and let it separate water from water. So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. It was so. God called the expanse sky.” This verse states that an expanse (can be known as sky) was inserted between the watery earth and water that is above the sky. However, the narrative does not say how far above the sky the water was placed. This has led to two theories that are known as the “Vapor Canopy” theory and a recent theory that postulates that the water was moved out into space (interstellar space) about 20 million light years away from the earth. As the Vapor Canopy theory is the more popular version, we will focus on a canopy of water above the earth that would be just above our known sky and probably be visible from the earth by looking into space.

VAPOR CANOPY THEORY
The biblical narrative does not indicate how much water was placed above the sky so this is open for debate. What makes this theory probable were the conditions that were present and/or probably present from the presence of a water canopy prior to the flood (pre-flood earth), and can be summarized as follows:
o    The barometric pressure would have been higher than our present 14.7 psi (probably over 30 psi). This contributes to longer health, better healing, etc
o    A temperate climate would have been virtually perfect for growing vegetation. Conventional science cannot explain the presence of lush growth under the polar ice caps
o    Ultraviolet rays from the sun would have been filtered out prior to reaching life on the earth and would have resulted in a longer life span. The average age of humans prior to the flood was 912 years
o    The following three verses indicate the pre-flood sky was viewed as a molten mirror (Job 37:18, Daniel 12:3, and Ezekiel 1:22). Suspended ice crystals would have appeared as a “molten mirror”

SOURCE OF FLOOD WATER
With the vapor canopy theory as a starting point for this discussion, let’s shift gears and look at the following key phrases in Genesis 7:6-16:
o    “All the fountains of the great deep burst open.” In the Hebrew, this phrase indicates that subterranean waters were bursting upward. The significance of this narrative is the power and destructive force of the great deep breaking open and allowing the upward travel of water to contribute to the rise of water on the earth. As a point of interest, Webster’s Dictionary defines burst as “to come apart suddenly and violently, explode”
o    “The floodgates of the heavens were opened.” Remember that prior to the flood it did not rain (see Genesis 2:5&6). Therefore, the rain came from a source that had not previously produced rain
o    “The flood engulfed the earth.” The significance seems to be, among other things, that in this judgment God was returning the world to its earlier condition of being enveloped with water - - a judgment involving a reversal of creation
o    “The flood engulfed the earth for forty days.” In the Hebrew, the significance of this narrative is that the waters did not merely rise, they prevailed over the earth, overwhelming it

With the preceding four portions of the flood narrative as a starting point, let’s look at the scientific implications of the source of the flood waters:
o    First, there was water below and above the earth, so the amount of water was more than sufficient for a global flood
o    When the flood catastrophe struck, the earth had been a time bomb waiting to go off
o    Cold, dense material at the seafloor was floating on top of hot, lighter material deeper in the mantle of the earth (remember the earth is comprised of the core, mantle, and a crust)
o    The seafloor suddenly broke open in the middle, while the edges began diving into the mantle below. This fracture likely spread around the entire globe
o    As hot magma rose into these cracks, seawater also flowed into these cracks and flashed instantly into steam which resulted in supersonic jets of steam thundering into the upper atmosphere, carrying seawater with them
o    Clouds of this ejected material spread out across the planet, cooled, and fell as torrents of rain on land and sea
o    Simultaneously, as the cold ocean crust was replaced with hot, expanded magma, the seafloor rose, and with it, the sea level rose worldwide to inundate the then known earth
o    As the land was inundated, the plummeting seafloor would have moved the singular land mass (commonly known as Rodinia from the Russian word “motherland” or Pangaea) and ultimately resulted in multiple land masses (North-South America, Europe, etc). The concept of moving land masses (plate tectonics) is accepted by creationist and conventional scientists alike, and is commonly known as Continental Drift. From a creationist perspective, continental drift would be a result of catastrophic plate tectonics which conventional science does not support
o    Eventually this process subsided once all the cold material from the seafloor sank into the mantle. The torrential rains were shut off after 40 days and the fountains of the deep were halted after 150 days (or 110 days after the rains ceased)
o    During the period of the torrential rains, there would have been significant volcanic activity that would have spewed a significant amount of volcanic ash into the atmosphere and assisting in the collapse of the water canopy (if present)
o    When looking at the validity of the preceding flood perspective, is there any evidence of a cold, dense seafloor material collapsing into the hot mantle? During the past ten years, science has developed the technology to “see” if cold material existed at the base of the mantle. This technology discovered that indeed, portions of the “cold crust“ had sunk the full 1,800 miles from the crust to the base of the mantle where temperatures are 7,232-degrees F. This suggests that the continents moved rapidly during the flood and that the flood occurred only thousands of years ago as opposed to the old earth perspective that would have resulted in the crust taking millions of years to sink towards the mantle. In this case, the sinking portions of crust would have melted before reaching the mantle
o    Lastly, how could a flood cover high mountains such as Mt. Everest? It is believed that the “high hills and/or mountains” that were present before the flood were not the height of modern mountains, and were probably less than 15,000-feet high. Modern mountains such as Mt. Everest, the Alps, and the Himalayas were formed by catastrophic plate tectonics that indicates that during the flood, the continents were moving at speeds of feet-per-second by the rapidly moving plates. When two continents collided, mountain belts were uplifted as the earth’s crust buckled and warped
o    To summarize the preceding theories, the perspective of catastrophic plate tectonics offers a plausible explanation for the mechanisms responsible for a global flood and the separation of the continents while modern science does not support the concept of a global flood and finds it difficult to explain the mechanisms for continental drift and the evidences of a global flood that are clearly observed (to be covered next month). Additionally, the concept of rain for 40 days (which seems to be the main portion of the flood narrative that most people remember) does not begin to explain the catastrophic damage to the earth during the global flood and the lingering affects that are still present today

WHERE DID THE FLOOD WATER GO
Unlike the question of where did the water for the global flood come from, this question is more simplistic and can be clarified by the verse in Psalms 104:6-9 that states “The watery deep (the same phrase as found in Genesis 1:2) covered it like a garment; the waters reached above the mountains. Your shout made the waters retreat; at the sound of your thunderous voice they hurried off - - as the mountains rose up, and the valleys went down - - to the place appointed you appointed for them. You set up a boundary for them that they could not cross so that they would not cover the earth again.” Although there is some debate about this verse referring to pre-flood, post flood - - or both, the general consensus is it refers to the post flood time scale. From the post flood perspective, this verse indicates the mountains were uplifted (evidence of “uplifting” can be seen in the mountains around the world), portions of the earth sank downwards, and the flood waters returned to the oceanic basins (remember the earth is comprised of 70% water and 30% land). Currently, it is believed that there is enough water in the oceans to cover the entire earth to a depth of over 2 miles (11,000 to 12,000-feet).

Next month we will continue with a scientific look at the flood and consider six evidences for a global flood, flood-activated sedimentation and tectonics, and catastrophic plate tectonics.

Additional information on this subject can be obtained from Answers magazine, October-December 08 issue, Volume 3, Number 4 (www.answersingenesis.com) which gives a simple yet comprehensive overview of pre and post flood conditions.

THE DOVE will continue this series on the morning of November 20, 2008

Noah’s Ark and the Flood Part 2

Wednesday Sep 17, 2008 by John Mittendorf

NOAHS ARK AND THE FLOOD
Part 2

AIRED ON KDOV SEPTEMBER 18, 2008
John Mittendorf & Perry Atkinson

INTRODUCTION

Last month on the 21st, we started a series on the “Ark” and the “Flood” and overviewed the beginning of the flood narrative as found in Genesis 6:1-13. Let’s continue with the sixth chapter of Genesis, verses 14-22, and consider what the Bible has to say about the flood, and specifically, the ark. Note: All following biblical quotes are taken from the New English Translation (NET Bible) unless otherwise noted.

SCIENCE AND THE ARK

GENESIS 6:14-22
“Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood. Make rooms in the ark, and cover it with pitch inside and out. This is how you should make it: The ark is to be four hundred fifty feet long, seventy-five feet wide, and forty-five feet high. Make a roof for the ark and finish it, leaving eighteen inches from the top. Put a door in the side of the ark, and make lower, middle, and upper decks. I am about to bring flood waters on the earth to destroy all the living creatures that have the breath of life in them. Everything that is on the earth will die, but I will confirm my covenant with you. You will enter the ark – you, your son’s, your wife, and your son’s wives with you. You must bring into the ark two of every kind of living creature from all flesh, male and female, to keep them alive with you. Of the birds after their kinds, and of the cattle after their kinds, and of every creeping thing of the ground after their kinds, two of every kind will come to you so you
can keep them alive. And you must take for yourself every kind of food that is eaten, and gather it together. It will be food for you and for them.” And Noah did all that God commanded him – he did indeed.

o    Gopher wood: The Hebrew word is “goper” which is often translated into cypress wood. Teak and cedar type woods were also common at that time. The exact nature of the wood involved is uncertain, however it was probably a resinous type wood
o    And cover it with pitch: To cover, to smear, to caulk
o    And finish it, leaving 18-inches from the top: Leave an eighteen-inch opening from the top for a window for light
o    450’ long, 75’ feet wide, and 45’ high:  Some translations use 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide, and 30 cubits high. Most authorities assume an Old Testament cubit is about 18” long hence the measurements of 450’-75’-45’
o    I will confirm: Anticipates the unconditional promise made to mankind following the flood
o    Two of every kind will come to you: God will take care of the details
o    He did indeed: Underscores the obedience of Noah to all that God said

ARK SPECIFICS

o    Noah (a righteous man) is directed by God to build an ark.
o    The instructions that were given by God made the ark unique:
- The ark was a floating box, 450’ long, 75’ wide, and 45’ high
- The ark was made from wood and had 120 years available for construction
- The ark was six times longer than its width – the perfect ratio for stability
- The ark could be tilted to almost 90 degrees and still right itself
- The ark was nothing more than a floating box. Ark means box
- There were three interior decks and an 18” opening at the top
- The ark displaced 22’ of water, or, 50% of the ark was above water
- The ark had a superior cargo carrying capacity as compared to modern
ships as the sides were not sloped, there was no ballast necessary to keep
the ark upright, and there was no space used by machinery to power, heat,
and cool the ark
- The ark contained 1.4 million cubic feet of interior space, or the equivalent of
522 railroad stock cars
-  One railroad stock car can carry 240 medium sized animals. As there were
about 17,000 species of animals, it would have taken 146 stock cars to hold
about 35,000 medium sized animals. Therefore, 60% of the ark was unused
for animals
o    God’s directions to Noah only consisted of the measurements, type of wood, the use of pitch, an 18” opening at the top, three interior decks, rooms, and a door in the side. Therefore, we do not know what the finished appearance (beyond God’s directions to Noah) looked like. The “long box” appearance of an ark is often used as it approximates the conventional “ark” look.
o    Interestingly, a working replica has been constructed by Creationist Johan Huibers in Schagen, Netherlands. Johan built the ark of cedar and pine and did most of the work with his own hands, using modern tools and with occasional help. Construction began in May 2005. The project took about three years! The ark is now open to the public.
o    The ark proportions have been tested and compared to other proportions at the Korean Research Center in Kriso, Korea, which is a world-class research center. Twelve different designs were tested and none could significantly outperform the biblical specifications (regarding capsize resistance, seakindliness, and hull stress). The tests concluded that the ark could handle waves well over 150-feet. Remember there was a wind (Genesis 8:1) and winds create waves.
o    It has been claimed that an ark made of wood and 450 to 500’ long would exceed the maximum possible length for a boat made of wood as the long hull would flex in the waves, causing the planks to slide against each other and break the waterproofing seal and potentially the wooden structure of the ark. However, two recent discoveries from ancient shipbuilders have shed light on these concerns as follows:
- The ancient Greeks described a catamaran galley (the Tessarakonteres) that
was 420’ long (almost ark-sized) in 210 B.C. Today, modern marine
archaeology considers the Tessarakonteres a real ship
- The problem of planks providing sufficient strength and eliminating the
dilemma of the planks sliding against each other is solved by the use of
cross-lamination, and edge-jointed planking using mortise, tenons, and
dowels. This practice was used at least as far back as 1,400 yrs. B.C.
and likely before that. Cross lamination is comprised of three layers
consisting of the inner layer running horizontal, the next layer running at
about a 45-degree angle, and the outer layer running horizontal. Therefore,
the methods existed to construct a seaworthy vessel of wood in Noah’s day
o    Using the “long box” conventional look, another design is receiving some attention as a possible final design from a combination of ship designs that were common in Mesopotamian times and numerous tests that have been done by the Koreans. It is logical to assume that the dimensions God gave to
Noah did not include the specific details of the final “look.” Additionally, the
Koreans have conducted tests on numerous designs and have concluded that
a long box type of ark would have been easily turned broadside to the
windward side of winds across the waters. Therefore, another design is
receiving attention and is submitted as a possible design that Noah might
have used from ships that were built during his time. Of particular note are
the specifics of this design. First, the back of the ark is equipped with a
vertical appendage that would have eliminated “broaching” by acting as a
weather vane that would have turned the ark into the wind and waves.
Second, is a tapered end (or a submerged “bull nose”) that would point into
the waves and would have offered more control to the ark.
o    Several other items of note that have undergone scrutiny are ventilation and lighting, water, and food. Let’s take a quick look at each of these concerns:
- Ventilation and lighting. Slatted floors would provide an upward flow of air
as heat naturally rises (remember the 18-inch opening at the top of the ark?),
wave motion can pump air throughout a vessel, and so on. Light could be
easily provided by the opening at the top of the ark and oil lamps
- Water. Water could be piped from rainwater tanks on the roof of the ark to
upturned airtight containers that feed into a drinking trough. This would
keep water available for weeks at a time before the containers would need
refilling
- Food. Initially, consider that life and conditions on the ark were different
from the perspective that there was no reproduction of the animals during
their time on the ark. So, whether it was a form of hibernation or some other
consideration, no one knows, but we do know that God commanded Noah
to “take for yourself every kind of food that is eaten, and gather it together.
It will be food for you and for them.” (Additionally, until the end of the
flood, man and animals were vegetarians. For an additional look at this, see
Genesis 1:29-30, and Genesis 9:3. Although meat is not specifically
mentioned in Genesis 1:29-30, the vegetarian viewpoint is generally
accepted). Grains, hay, and other similar types of food can be easily stored
and concentrated amounts would not require constant attention

For more information on this subject, see the following resources:
o    Noah’s Ark, Thinking Outside the Box, Tim Lovett (book & DVD), AIG
o    Noah’s Ark, A Feasibility Study, John Woodmorappe (softcover book), ICR

THE DOVE will continue this series on the morning of October 16, 2008.

Noah’s Ark and the Flood

Friday Aug 22, 2008 by John Mittendorf

AIRED ON KDOV AUGUST 21, 2008

John Mittendorf & Perry Atkinson

INTRODUCTION
A popular area of secular ridicule and negativism that is directed towards creationism, is the story of Noah’s ark and the world wide flood, particularly within the time frame of this event happening about 4,500 years ago. As an example, a Christian organization recently had the opportunity to staff a “Creationist” booth at the annual convention of the National Education Association (NEA) in Los Angeles. This organization is one of the most anti-Christian lobby groups in the United States, and is the world’s largest public education group (2.7 million members). One topic that was consistently used by doubters to ridicule the Bible was Noah’s Ark and the Flood. Here were some of the typical comments:
o How did Noah fit all of the animals including dinosaurs on board?
o Where did the Flood waters come from, and where did they go?
o Where’s the evidence of a global Flood?
o How could the ark carry all of those animals?
o Was Noah intelligent enough to have built an ark from minimal specifications?
o And so on……….

Not surprisingly, the modern view of Noah, the ark, and the flood is presented as a cute fairy tale or placed in the category of a joke. However, the Bible clearly states that due to the extent of sin, God commanded Noah to build an ark, God brought two animals of each species to the ark, and the then known earth and all human life (except Noah and his family on the ark) were destroyed by a global flood. Obviously, this is in direct conflict with the current secular opinion that a global flood never happened and all human descendents are the result of evolutionary descent from apes. Over the next few months on THE DOVE we will overview the biblical account of Noah, the ark, and the flood from a scientific and biblical perspective.
So, let’s start with the sixth chapter of Genesis and consider what the Bible has to say about the flood. Note: All following biblical quotes are taken from the New English Translation (NET Bible) unless otherwise noted. Additionally, the following text as found in Genesis 6:1-4 is highly controversial but begins the flood narrative in this chapter of Genesis. So, if it is a part of the flood text, let’s consider its implications.

NOAH AND THE FLOOD

GENESIS 6:1-4
When mankind began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of mankind were beautiful. Thus they took wives for themselves from any they chose. So the LORD said, “My spirit will not remain in mankind indefinitely since they are mortal. They will remain for one hundred and twenty more years.” The Nephilim were on the earth in those days (and also after this) when the sons of God were having sexual relations with the daughters of mankind, who gave birth to their children. They were the mighty heroes of old, the famous men.

Sons of God: The term “sons of God” occurs only here and in Job 1:6, 2:1, and 38:7. There are three major interpretations of this phrase:
1. Fallen angels view. Angelic beings that were not human. In the book of Job, the phrase clearly refers to angelic beings. In Genesis 6 the “sons of God” are distinct from mankind, suggesting they were not of human origin. Since the passage speaks of these beings cohabitating with earthly women, they must have taken a physical form or possessed the bodies of men.
2. Sethite view. Member’s of Seth’s line. Some scholars believe that the “sons of God” were members of Seth’s line, traced back to God through Adam in Genesis 5, while the “daughters of mankind” were descendants of Cain. However, the text distinguishes the “sons of God” from mankind (which include the Sethites) and suggests that the “daughters of mankind” are human women in general, not just Cainites.
3. Kings or rulers view. Powerful tyrants, possibly demon possessed who viewed themselves as divine (see Psalms 82:1), and following the example of Lamech (Genesis 4:19) practiced polygamy. But usage of the phrase “sons of God” in Job militates against this view.

One hundred and twenty more years: The time remaining from this announcement of judgment to the coming of the flood. This does not necessarily mean that it took Noah 120 years to build the ark

Nephilim: The meaning of this word is uncertain. The only other place in scripture this word is used is Numbers 13:33 and refers to giants. According to the text, the Nephilim became mighty warriors and gained great fame in the antediluvian world. The text may imply they were the offspring of the sexual union of the “sons of God” and the “daughters on mankind,” but it stops short of saying this in a direct manner. Possibly the offspring of the sexual union of the “sons of God” and the “daughters of mankind”

Mighty heroes of old: The text refers to superhuman beings that held the world in their power and who lived on in ancient lore outside the Bible.

Of particular interest is the following possibility - - if the resultant offspring from the union of “the daughters of mankind” and the “sons of God” were a mixture of human and satanic angel, then the death of Christ and his subsequent resurrection on the cross would not apply to these “crossbreeds” as Christ died for mankind. This is also a possibility for the flood in addition to the wickedness of mankind as summarized in Genesis 6:5-13, thereby allowing God to start over again with mankind and destroy Satan’s attempt to mitigate the cross, redemption, and salvation.

GENESIS 6:5-8
But the LORD saw that the wickedness of mankind had become great on the earth. Every inclination of the thoughts of their minds was only evil all the time. The LORD regretted that he had made mankind on the earth, and he was highly offended. So the LORD said, “I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth – everything from mankind to animals, including creatures that move on the ground and birds of the air, for I regret that I have made them.” But Noah found favor in the sight of the LORD. This is the account of Noah. Noah was a godly man; he was blameless among his contemporaries. He walked with God. Noah had three sons; Shem, Ham, and Japheth. The earth was ruined in the sight of God; the earth was filled with violence. God saw the earth, and indeed, it was ruined, for all living creatures on the earth were sinful. So God said to Noah, “I have decided that all living creatures must die, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. Now I am about to destroy them and the earth.” But Noah found favor in the sight of the LORD.

Every inclination: People had taken their God given capacities and used them to devise evil. Evil had become dominate all the time. The words “every” and “only” emphasize the depth of human evil at this time. The entire human race had become corrupt.

On the earth: Earth is singular, so this can denote the entire earth. This can also be a rebuttal to the “local flood” theory.

Mankind to animals: Stresses the extent of the judgment in creation. The Hebrew text says “from man to beast, to creatures, and to birds of the air.” The use of presuppositions stresses the extent of the judgment in creation.

I regret that I have made them: God was embarrassed, grieved, or sorry that he had “made them.”

The earth was ruined: Mankind’s sin is viewed as having an adverse effect on the entire earth. Included are injurious testimony, deadly assault, murder, and rape.

All living creatures must die: All flesh is used of mankind and the animals, and all were guilty of moral failure. The animals were morally contaminated because of their association with sinful mankind.

Noah found favor: God condemns the human race, but he is pleased with Noah. God shows kindness and mercy towards Noah’s blameless and righteous character.

THE DOVE will continue this series on the morning of September 18, 2008

Intelligent Design, Creationism, Darwinism & Eckhart Tolle

Thursday Jul 24, 2008 by John Mittendorf

AIRED ON KDOV JULY 31, 2008
John Mittendorf & Perry Atkinson

INTELLIGENT DESIGN, CREATIONISM, AND DARWINISM
The recent movie EXPELLED, hosted by Ben Stein, overviewed numerous facets of the creationism Vs evolution debate. The primary facets of the movie can best be summarized by some of the following topics:
• Freedom in America?
• Where did life come from?
• Is there truth in science?
• Intelligent Design.
• Darwinism and modern history.
• Planned Parenthood and Eugenics.
• Hitler.
• Racism.

These topics can best be summarized by the following three viewpoints that were discussed during the movie:
• Darwinism.
• Creationism.
• Intelligent Design.

Let’s take a brief look at these three viewpoints and compare their basic differences:

DARWINISM
• Godless theory.
• Naturalistic (no God).
• Purposeless (random events).
• Violates the basic laws of science and the universe.
• No future.

CREATIONISM
• God centered.
• Purpose in life.
• Scientifically accurate.
• Future is secure!

INTELLIGENT DESIGN
To look at the differences between Intelligent Design (I.D.), let’s first ask a basic question - - “Is I.D. Christian?” Next, let’s consider a quote from the I.D., - - “Certain features of living things were designed by an intelligent cause as opposed to being formed through purely natural means”. With the aforementioned basic question and quote, consider the following outline regarding the many facets of Intelligent Design:

What I.D. Is
• A scientific research program that investigates the affects of intelligent causes.
• An intellectual movement that challenges Darwinism and its naturalistic legacy.
• A way of understanding divine action.
• Focus on what is designed, rather than answering who, when, why, and how.

What I.D. Is Not
• Does not attempt to be religiously motivated.
• Does not name the intelligent cause.
• Does not claim that everything is designed.

Advantages Of I.D.
• Has produced many resources that support biblical creation.
• Clarifies that Darwinism/Naturalism are based on presupposition and theories.
• I.D. is based on the presupposition that the supernatural does exist.
• Can serve as a useful tool to initiate discussions about God and creation.

Is There A Problem With I.D.?
• Allows evolution/natural causes to play a role.
• Divorces the creator from the creation.
• Individuals can decide who the creator is.
• No redeemer and no final solution for evil in this world.

Is There A Biblical Answer To The Creator, Creation, And The Future?

2 TIMOTHY 3:16
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work”

ECKHART TOLLE

Evidence of a Young Earth - John Mittendorf

Wednesday Jun 18, 2008 by John Mittendorf

EVIDENCE OF A YOUNG EARTH
AIRED ON KDOV MAY 23 AND JUNE 19, 2008
John Mittendorf
Scientific evidence is overwhelmingly in favor of an age for the universe and earth far younger than billions of years.

Not trying to prove the biblical age with science - - However, what do we see?

“Truth has nothing to fear from open debate, but lies do” - - Cal Thomas

AGES
SCIENCE
o Postulates the universe is 15 billion years old
o Postulates earth is 4.5 billion years old

BIBLE
o Universe and earth is about 6-10,000 years old. These figures come from the addition of the following time frames:
- 2007 yrs from today to BC/AD
- 2,170 yrs from BC/AD to Abraham
- 352 yrs from Abraham to the flood
- 1,656 from the flood to creation
- (Egyptian sojourn and Israelite monarchy time frame not precise)

CORNERSTONE OF SCIENCE
UNIFORMITARIANISM
o The philosophy that “processes have always occurred at roughly constant rates”
o The present is the key to the past
o Mount St. Helens in 1980 was very detrimental to this theory
- what was presumed to have taken millions and millions of years to form
  actually took days or weeks to form
- canyons - - erosion
- stratigraphic layers
- dates of rocks

INTERESTING FACTS
What is the oldest living thing on earth today?
o Bristlecone pines trees, 4,000 to 4,500 yrs old - - White Mountains by Bishop California, southwestern Utah, etc
o Why is this important? Noah’s flood about 4,500 yrs ago
o Dendrochronology is the science of dating from tree rings

-2-

When considering the debate between an old or young universe and earth, let’s consider two unique dating perceptions:
Moon Dust
o Interplanetary dust is high in nickel content
o The moon is supposedly the same age as the earth - - 4.5 billion yrs
o Prior to the Apollo lunar missions, NASA estimated about 54 to 100-feet of dust should be on the moon due to their perception of an old universe
o Therefore, the Astronauts would sink into the dust on the moon
o As a result, large pads (saucer pods) were fitted on the lunar landing module with 3’ vertical sensors
o Actually, 1/8th to 3-inches of dust was found
o Science is currently unsure of the rate of cosmic dust and the possible fusing and solidification of dust from meteors
o Therefore, the dust argument is inconclusive and should not be used to argue for a young universe
o Interestingly, there is only enough nickel in our oceans for an age of about 18,000 yrs
Distant Starlight Problem
o How can we see the light of distant stars-galaxies if the universe is young?
o God could have created it visible
o Gravitational Time Dilation - - clocks at sea level run slower than clocks at altitude (due to different levels of gravity) - - Royal Observatory, Greenwich Vs. National Bureau of Standards, Boulder, Colorado. Therefore, time runs at two different speeds in deep space and here on earth (Einstein’s physics)
o Alternate Synchrony Conventions. There are different time zones (earth and deep space)

WHAT WE SEE
The following is a list of natural phenomena which conflict with the evolutionary idea that the earth and universe are billions of years old. Each item imposes a maximum possible age which is much less than the required evolutionary age. Although some items refer to millions of years - - the point is that this refers to the maximum possible age, not the actual age. Thus, such upper limits (a) deny the billions of years evolutionary time-scale, and (b) are perfectly consistent with the biblical time-scale of 6,000 to 10,000 years. Much more young-universe evidence exists, but the following items have been chosen for brevity-simplicity, and are not listed in any particular order.

DIAMONDS AND COAL
o Supposedly millions of years old
o Never tested for Carbon-14 (C-14) until recently
o C-14 is an unstable element formed by cosmic rays striking Nitrogen-14

 

-3-

o C-14 has a half-life of 5,730 yrs, all C-14 should be gone within 50,000 to 60,000 yrs
o All samples had “readily detectable” amounts of C-14

EARTH’S MAGNETIC FIELD
o First measured in 1835
o Every 1,400 yrs the field decreases by half
o Energy stored in the earth’s magnetic field has steadily decreased by a factor of 2.7 over the past 1,000 yrs.
o At that rate, the current magnetic field could not be over 10,000 yrs old

HELIUM
o All naturally occurring families of radioactive elements generate helium as they decay
o If such decay took place over billions of years, there should be much Helium in the atmosphere
o As there is currently a very small amount (1/2,000th), the “Helium clock” insists the earth cannot be more than 10,000 to 15,000 yrs old

EARTH’S CONTINTENTS
o Most land is supposed to have been above sea level for hundreds of millions of years
o Each year, water and winds erode about 2.5 billion tons of dirt and rock from the continents and deposit them in the oceans
o At that rate, it would take only 15 million years to erode all land down to sea-level

MOON RECESSION
o Our moon is slowly receding from the earth at a rate of 2-inches per year
o 4.5 billion years ago, the moon would have been 380,000 miles closer to the earth. We would then have a significant gravity and tide problem
o Far to young for evolution and the age of assigned radiometric ages for moon rocks

SHRINKING SUN
o Sun’s diameter decreases by about 4/100% per century, or 2-feet per hour
o 250,000 yrs ago, the sun would have been double its present size and too hot for life on earth
o 30 million years ago it would have touched the earth

DINOSAURS
o Dinosaurs supposedly died out 65 million years ago
o In 1990, a T. Rex skeleton was unearthed by Dr. Mary Schweitzer, Montana State University
o Some parts deep inside the long bone of the leg had not completely fossilized
o Found traces of the blood protein hemoglobin (red blood cells)
o Not the first time unfossilized dinosaur bone has been found (Alaska, etc)

-4-

o In 2005, Dr. Schweitzer again found another T. Rex skeleton. As the leg bone was being lifted up by helicopter, it split open
o Soft fibrous elastic tissue, fresh blood cells, and complete blood vessels were found
o When stretched, returns to its original shape
o Obviously, soft fibrous tissue and fresh blood cells cannot last for long periods of time
o This discovery stretches the long-age paradigm beyond belief
o Note: Additional information with color pictures can be found at www.answersingenesis.org/docs2005/0325Dino_tissue.asp?

COMETS
o Comets are dirty snowballs that revolve around the sun in highly elliptical orbits
o Contain dust, ice, ammonia, methane, and carbon dioxide
o Halley’s and Hale-Bopp comets, etc
o They lose much mass every time they pass near the sun
o Could not have been orbiting the sun for billions of years (since the solar system formed)

GALAXIES
o The stars of our galaxy, the Milky Way, rotate about the galactic center with different speeds, the inner ones rotating faster than the outer ones
o The observed rotation speeds are so fast that if out galaxy were more than a few hundred million years old, it would be a featureless smear of stars instead of its present spiral shape
o This is referred to as the “winding up dilemma”

SEA FLOOR SEDIMENT
o The latest geologic theories say the ocean floors are 200 million years old
o At the present rate of sedimentation from the continents, there should be many feet of sediment on the ocean floor
o Yet, on the average, the ocean floor has only about 800 feet of sediment
o This implies that the ocean floors have existed less than 15 million years

MULTI-LAYER FOSSILS
o Polystrate fossils penetrate more than one geologic stratum
o As an example, at The Joggins, Nova Scotia, many erect fossil trees are scattered throughout 2,500-feet of geologic strata, penetrating 20 geologic horizons
o These trees had to be buried faster than it took them to decay
o This implies that the entire formation was deposited in a few years at most. Yet evolutionary theory claims that the top strata were deposited millions of years after the bottom strata

 

-5-

MOON
o The prevailing scientific belief is that the moon is about 4.5 billion years old and has been geologically dead for the last 3 billion years
o Ever since telescopes have been available, geologic activity has been observed on the moon. This is referred to as Transient Lunar Phenomena (TLP)
o The number of TLP observations became so overwhelming, that mainline publications began to discuss them
o TLP observations point to the youthfulness of the moon

HELIUM IN ROCKS
o A study published in Geophysical Research Letters shows that helium produced by radioactive decay in deep, hot rocks has not had time to escape
o Though the rocks are supposed to be billions of years old, their helium retention indicates an age less than millions of years old

JUPITER AND NEPTUNE
o Jupiter and Neptune are commonly referred to as the Jovian gas giants and science postulates that they shine only by reflected light (which would indicate they are extremely old)
o However, both planets radiate more power than they receive. As an example, Jupiter radiates twice as much energy as it receives
o This indicates these planets are young (thousands of years old) as they have not had time to cool down since their formation

ARTIFACTS
o Coal beds are often dated around 250 million years old
o Numerous artifacts have been found in coal beds (gold chain, iron pot, bronze bell, etc)
o If coal is 250 million years old, how could these artifacts been imbedded in coal?

STARS
o Of all the stars, blue stars are the most luminous and massive type of star.
o Stars are classified by their temperature and brightness. Blue stars are the hottest and brightest because they give off the most energy
o Blue stars present the biggest challenge to an “old universe theory”
o It is known that blue stars cannot shine very long and are estimated to only last about a few million years
o However, blue stars are found throughout the arms of virtually all spiral galaxies which are postulated to be billions of years old

 

 

-6-

SOURCES FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
o The Young Earth, Dr. John Morris, Master Books
o Evidence For A Young World, Dr. Russel Humphreys, Answers In Genesis
o Thousands…..Not Billions, Dr. Don DeYoung, Master Books
o Refuting Evolution, Dr. Jonathan Sarfati, Master Books
o Refuting Compromise, Dr. Jonathan Sarfati, Master Books
o Unlocking the Mysteries Of Creation, Dennis Peterson, Master Books

Statement

Monday Apr 07, 2008 by Perry Atkinson

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